Even In Death
by Nikita S
Summary: Love, betrayal, and jealousy: the true reasons for Van Helsing and Dracula's failed friendship. Set in Transylvania, it is a tale of how Dracula changed from a man to a monster, and how even death does not stop real love. †COMPLETED†
1. The Beginning of it All

† Even In Death †  
  
THIS IS A STORY about love, lust, jealousy, and betrayal, and how our choices and actions echo throughout eternity. Even the smallest decisions can carry great consequences, as I myself discovered long ago.   
  
I was born in the year 1443 in the land known as Transylvania, to parents of noble birth. Katrina Vorkovus was the name I was given, my surname having great power and influence in those years.   
  
My mother had died when I was born, leaving just my father and I to keep each other company. My father, whom I loved and respected more than any man in the world, was a member of the Knights of the Holy Order. Nearly all respectable men of noble birth in those days belonged to the Holy Order.   
  
It was through this Order that my destiny was to unfold, good or evil as it was to be.   
  
My story starts in the winter of my fourteenth year, in one of the worst storms Transylvania had seen in years. My father and other knights of the Order were returning from a battle that had taken many of their men, but had ended in victory for them. Victory for God was all that mattered to them, and the men that had died were considered noble sacrifices to the cause.  
  
I heard the men entering the castle early that morning, seeking a refuge from the storm until it passed. I threw on my riding clothes along with my warm fur-lined coat and hurried down eagerly to greet my father.  
  
He stood there in the great entrance hall of the castle, snow blowing in the large doors violently as more knights continued in from the storm. Spotting me heading toward him, he smiled and opened his arms to embrace me.  
  
"Safe trip father?," I asked smiling as he gave me a strong hug.   
  
"Not for all of us, I fear," he replied looking around at the wounded men. "We lost many, but in the end we were victorious."   
  
He released me, still smiling. "Now, I'll need you to see to the wounded. There are many who will need help as quickly as possible, and I need you to ensure that they get it."  
  
"Of course, father." His smile returned to the serious look that he so often wore, and he nodded to me. Not wasting any time, I immediately called for the servants to help me in preparing a place for the wounded men.  
  
It was as my father had said, there were even more wounded than I had imagined, and many who were beyond helping. The sight of wounded and dying men was nothing new or frightening to me. Since childhood I had aided the wounded that came in from nearby battles, and I could stand any sight that was put before me.   
  
This day was no different, as I hurried back and forth, assuring that those who most needed help got it quickly.   
  
It was at this point that I noticed a man sitting alone and unattended near the far wall of the room. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with long dark hair and a handsome face. He was clearly nobility, judging from his armor and his posture. His left arm was badly cut, and I could tell that he had lost a large amount of blood. He looked up at me from across the room, and for a moment we merely stared at each other. I then realized my foolishness, and gathering a few clean bandages I made my way over to help him.  
  
His eyes never left me as I approached him, and when I reached him he spoke. "There are others that need tending to worse than I," he said, looking down at his arm. "This is only a scratch."  
  
I examined his arm and shook my head. "I think you are one of those who needs tending to. If this isn't properly bandaged and cared for, you could loose an arm."  
  
He did not reply, but watched me intently as I cleaned and dressed the wound.   
  
"There," I said, finishing. "Now you should be able to keep that arm, if you're careful." He smiled for the first time, and I felt my heartbeat speed up slightly.  
  
"I thank you, my lady. And I would like to keep my arm, I'd be at a great disadvantage on the battlefield without it," he said, grinning. I smiled, and as I turned away he asked my name. "Katrina," I replied with a slight smile, then walked away to the next wounded knight. It was only much later that I would learn the true effect that meeting this man would have on my life and on the lives of others.  
  
The rest of the day passed quickly and uneventfully. The storm still raged outside, making it impossible for travel. Evening came and the great dining hall was made ready for our guests. I put on one of my finest dresses and made my way to the dining hall, taking my seat to the side of my father as I always did.  
  
Once the seats at the long table were filled, my father rose and gave a victory speech as was the custom. As he spoke I glanced down the table and noticed the young lord whose arm I had tended earlier. He was dressed very nicely in black, and his dark hair was pulled back neatly behind his head.  
  
He was speaking with another young knight who sat beside him, and a very interesting pair they were. Just then he looked up and our eyes met. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I lowered my eyes to the table, and then felt very foolish.  
  
My father's speech ended to applause, and the meal went by quickly. After everyone had finished the men, mostly lords, began to talk about wars and the previous battle. I excused myself and made my way out of the dining hall. I was not the only one to do so; it seemed that a few of the men were too tired for conversation and were retiring for the night.  
  
I made my way up the stairs and in the direction of my chamber in the north tower. As I walked along a quiet and deserted passageway, I noticed a door that had been left open. It lead to the old armory, which contained weapons that had been in my family for years.  
  
The door was usually kept closed, and as a drew nearer I could hear voices somewhere inside.   
  
I could tell that one of these belonged to my father. He was speaking to another man, but I could not tell who. I quietly made my way inside, hiding behind a large weapon case as the voices came nearer. As he spoke I realized who the other voice belonged to….the young lord.   
  
My father seemed to be showing him around the armory, and they were caught up in conversation about weaponry. And then the lord said something that caught my attention.  
  
"You have a daughter I believe?," he asked my father. "Yes, Katrina," my father replied. "Have the two of you met?"  
  
"Yes, I believe so. Your daughter is very talented in caring for the wounded."  
  
My father laughed. "So she is. She is very precious to me, my only living child," he explained.  
  
There was a silence, and then my father spoke again, this time seriously. "Soon, my daughter will be old enough to marry. She will need a good husband; a man that is well respected and kind to her." He paused and then added, "If it would please you, I offer you her hand in marriage."  
  
For a moment I could do nothing, not even breathe. How could my father offer me so easily to a man I did not even know? It was the last thing I would expect him to do, and I was infuriated and to the point of tears at the same time. I waited for the other man's reply, and then it came.  
  
"She is a very beautiful girl, and I am certain that she will be an excellent wife. I accept your offer, Lord Vorkovus, and I am extremely grateful for it."  
  
My entire body felt like it was numb, and for a moment I considered stepping out from my hiding place and begging my father to take back his offer. But I knew it was done, and it could not be taken back.   
  
"Katrina has retired for the evening, but tomorrow I will formally introduce the two of you," my father said. 


	2. Introduction to the Count

I heard nothing else after this, leaving the room silently, unable to stand another minute of it. My mind raced as I made my way to my chamber. I wanted so badly to just escape, but I knew that with the storm outside there was no chance of that. I had only been in my chamber a few minutes when I heard a knock at the door. I remained sitting on my bed and said nothing, and my father opened the door.  
  
"Katrina, may I speak with you for a moment?" I nodded my head, and he entered the room, closing the door behind him.   
  
"I know that it is a bit late for conversation, but there is something I must speak with you about." I continued to look at him, and after a moment he continued.  
  
"I know what your thoughts on this matter will likely be, so I will get straight to the point. I have arranged for you to marry one of the Knights of the Holy Order, a man who I trust with my life, and most importantly with you."  
  
There was a silence, and then I could stand it no more. Tears began to stream down my face and I covered my eyes with my hands. I rarely cried, and I did not want my father to see me being so weak. I felt him sit down on the bed beside me, saying things to comfort me.  
  
"Listen to me Katrina…" he said softly. I lifted my head, trying to control my tears.  
  
"I know that this is not what you want and that it is hard for you to understand, but this…arrangement really is for the best." I turned to look at him, my anger starting to return.  
  
"How could you do this to me father?" I asked furiously. "Couldn't you at least have asked me what I thought about it?"  
  
Sadness showed in his eyes and he was silent for a moment. "There will never be a more perfect match for you than this, Katrina. This man is from one of the most respected and ancient families in the Order. He is also a good man…he saved my life once during a battle, and for that I can never repay him."  
  
"And so you hope to begin to repay him by giving him me?" I asked, my anger flaring.  
  
My father shook his head. "No, no, Katrina…it has nothing to do with that. But there is something else that I must tell you about all of this--something that will comfort you no doubt."  
  
I simply stared at the wall, willing to bet anything that what he was about to tell me wouldn't comfort me much. "You won't be marrying him now--it will at least be several years before he returns for you."  
  
I looked at my father again, a bit confused. "What, doesn't he want his prize now?" He smiled. "I asked him to wait until you are a few years older, since you have not yet reached the age of womanhood. He agreed, of course." This was a relief to me--at least I would have a few years to get used to the idea of marriage.  
  
"So I must simply sit here day after day and wait for his return," I said quietly, realizing at last that I had no way out of this.   
  
"He is leaving on a mission for the Order in a few days, and it will perhaps be three or four years before he returns for you," my father said. I nodded, but said nothing else.   
  
He gave me a smile. "It will not be as bad as you think. I will introduce the two of you tomorrow, though from what I have heard you have already met." I remained silent, and my father gave me a kiss on my forehead before standing to leave. "Do not worry my child, I promise you will grow to love him. And take comfort in knowing that I would never marry you to a man who did not deserve you."  
  
After my father had left and closed the door, I collapsed on my bed, but I did not cry again. It was so much to take in at once…all of it had happened so quickly.  
  
I thought about what my father had said last, and I knew that it was true. He would never allow me to marry a man who was not kind and trusted by him. Still thinking about all of this I fell asleep, wondering what the next day would bring.  
  
I awoke late the next morning and dressed slowly. I was in no hurry to go down to breakfast, or to the man I had been promised to. Just as I was finished dressing I heard a knock at the door. I opened it, and my father stood smiling.  
  
"There you are my dear. I was beginning to wonder if you had slipped off in the night…but I don't think that you would have gotten very far in this weather. Come, there is someone waiting for you that I would like for you to meet."  
  
Reluctantly I followed him down through the castle to the dining hall where a few men were still eating their morning meal. Most however had already finished and left the hall. As we entered the great room I saw the lord to whom I had been promised.  
  
He was dressed neatly in black as he had been the night before, and was seated at the large dining table. His face lighted up with a smile when he saw us approaching, and he stood to greet us.   
  
"Count, may I introduce you to my dear daughter, Katrina Vorkovus," my father said as I came to stand before the man.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Count Vladislaus Dragulia," he said, taking my hand and gently kissing it.   
  
So I was to marry a count. No wonder my father had been so eager for this arrangement; my marriage to a count would be considered an excellent match in the opinions of the nobles.  
  
"Allow me," the count said, pulling out a chair for me to be seated in.  
  
"Thank you, count," I said giving him a kind smile. "Please, call me Vladislaus," he answered, staring into my eyes.  
  
I felt myself blush as I sat down. My father and the count took their seats, and our breakfast was served. It was silent for a few moments and then my father began a conversation with the count, including me in it as often as he could.   
  
The count on the other hand seemed far less interested in what my father was saying, and more interested in speaking with me. My father of course was happy for this. Finishing his meal rather quickly, he excused himself, saying he had business to attend to.  
  
It was then just the count and I alone, and I realized that the dining hall was empty but for us. We continued talking until we had finished our meal, the count being very good at making conversation.  
  
"I do not know if your father has told you, but I leave in a few days on a mission for the Order," he said, looking at me intently. "I'm afraid it will be several years before we see each other again."  
  
"Yes, my father mentioned that you would be leaving soon," I replied.  
  
He smiled. "Which is why I had hoped that perhaps over the next few days we could get to know each other better, if you would like."  
  
This surprised me somewhat, although I'm not sure why. I had thought that the count would have had better things to do than spend time getting to know me. My surprise and uncertainty must have shown on my face, because the count then laughed.  
  
"What's so funny?" I asked, a little irritated.   
  
"It's just that you seem to have expected me to be less interested in you than I am," he replied.  
  
I smiled, a little embarrassed. "Well, to tell the truth I did."  
  
The count simply smiled, continuing to look at me contently. Feeling that I was being a bit rude, I offered to show him around the castle, and he gladly accepted.  
  
I began on the bottom floor with the armory that held our newest weapons and armor, since I thought that this would interest the count most. However, he seemed more interested in learning about me than about the weapons or the castle. For several hours we wandered around the castle, talking about many things. I was amazed at how easy the count was to talk to, and slowly I became less nervous. 


	3. Time Spent Together

The next day was much the same. I joined the count and my father for breakfast, and then my father left the two of us to talk. This time we carried on our conversations in the castle's enormous library, seated next to the large fireplace. A warm, roaring fire had been lit and shadows danced around the edges of the room.   
  
"You seemed to know a great deal about weaponry when we were in the armory yesterday," the count said. "Have you been taught to use a sword?"  
  
I was a bit surprised by the question, but I answered him truthfully. "Yes…my father began teaching me when I was younger. Since he has no son, I am the only one he has to pass his knowledge on to," I said smiling. The count nodded.  
  
"Your father is excellent with a sword. Indeed it would be a shame for him to not to pass on his knowledge to you."  
  
I had not expected this to be the count's response, most men thought that it was improper for a woman to be taught to defend herself with a sword. I was very grateful that he was not one of these men.  
  
A silence fell, and I noticed that the count was once again watching me. This time I did not look away, but returned his gaze. For several moments that seemed like an eternity, we sat staring into each other's eyes.   
  
"You are very beautiful, Katrina," he said at last.  
  
I felt like I was unable to speak, so I simply continued to look back at him. Slowly he moved closer to me, and before I knew it his lips were softly touching mine. He kissed me gently, and I felt myself returning the kiss, caught up in the feeling of his lips on mine.  
  
Suddenly the count pulled away and sat back looking at me with a slightly worried expression on his face. "Forgive me, I did not mean to…" His words trailed off, and I shook my head. "No, my lord, there is no need to ask for forgiveness."  
  
"Please, call me Vladislaus," he said.  
  
"Vladislaus then," I said smiling.  
  
He returned the smile, though I could tell that his mind was on something else. "Well," he said, "I would imagine that it is nearly time for the evening meal." Standing, the count then offered me his hand. "Shall we?"   
  
As I tried to sleep later that night, I found that I could not. The storm had finally stopped outside, but it was my thoughts on the day's events that kept me awake. I could not stop thinking about the count, wondering if maybe this arrangement wouldn't be as bad as I had thought. He was certainly an exceptional man, as I had learned from our conversations.  
  
He seemed to know a great deal about everything, not just the art of warfare as I had expected. He spoke to me with respect and meaning, even though I was still just a girl. Somewhere in all these thoughts I drifted to sleep.  
  
The next morning I was surprised to learn that the count would be leaving a day earlier than expected. The storm clouds had cleared, and blankets of snow covered the Transylvanian landscape. The drafty castle was especially cold that morning as many of the knights moved about, preparing to leave. Making my way through the castle, I found my father and the count, who was dressed in elaborate armor. There was also another man, one that I had seen with the count several times before.  
  
He stood as tall as the count, with dark hair and warm eyes. He too was dressed in armor, a large sword at his side. As I approached the three of them, the man turned to look at me, an expression of curiosity on his face.  
  
"There you are Katrina," my father said as I reached them.   
  
"Katrina," the count said, taking my hand, "allow me to introduce to you my good friend, Lord Gabriel Van Helsing." The man bowed and then smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady." I returned his smile, and the count turned to me.  
  
"I am afraid that this will be our last day together for a long time," he said looking into my eyes. "And since we will not be leaving until this afternoon, I thought that perhaps we could spend a bit more time together this morning."  
  
I smiled and nodded. "I would love to." I then glanced over at Van Helsing, who was politely pretending not to overhear our conversation.   
  
"Vladislaus," I said for the first time. "Yes, my love?" the count answered softly. "Perhaps Lord Van Helsing would like to join us. I do regret that I have not met your friend until the day of your departure." The count smiled. "Of course my dear, that is an excellent idea."  
  
At the mention of his name Van Helsing had turned back to us, and then smiled. "Forgive me, my lady, but I'm afraid I could not intrude upon your time with the count."  
  
"Nonsense," I said smiling. "You will not be intruding, we would like for you to join us."  
  
Looking from the count to me, Van Helsing smiled and nodded. "If you insist, my lady."  
  
The rest of that morning was spent by a warm fire in happy conversation, and I found myself completely entertained by the count and Van Helsing. I came to realize just how good of friends they were. They told me stories of their adventures together when they were younger, and I laughed picturing the two disciplined men before me as reckless boys. It also came to me even then how much alike they were in many ways. 


	4. Farewell For Now

The morning passed quickly, as did the meal at noon. Before I knew it, we were all standing in the snow covered castle courtyard, the knights mounting their horses and preparing to leave. My father, wanting to give the count and I time alone, had stepped away to speak to a few of the other knights. Van Helsing kissed my hand politely and told me farewell, then stepped away leaving the count and I alone.   
  
"Well Katrina, I suppose that this is goodbye. But only for now," he said smiling. "I will return to you as soon as the mission is over, I promise you that."  
  
I smiled, looking into his eyes. I noticed something different there as he looked at me, but I could not tell what it was.  
  
"I wish you luck, my lord, and a safe return."  
  
The count looked at me for a moment more, then kissed me softly but passionately. I returned his kiss, not caring who was watching us.   
  
After a moment we ended our kiss reluctantly, and the count caressed the side of my face with his hand. "Goodbye, my Katrina," he said softly, then turned and mounted his large black horse. He turned to look at me one last time, and I realized that what I had seen in his eyes had been love.   
  
Then turning his horse, the count rode up beside Van Helsing, who I then realized had been watching me for several minutes.  
  
I smiled and waved goodbye to him as they rode their horses through the castle gates.  
  
I stood there in the castle courtyard for some time, watching all the men leave and then watching them fade from my vision. Finally my father walked over to me, and laid his hand on my shoulder.  
  
"This arrangement hasn't turned out to be nearly as bad as you thought it would be, has it?"  
  
I shook my head. "No, father. I suppose you were right…if I had to choose a man to be my husband, it would probably be one like the count."  
  
My father smiled. "Yes, I thought that would be what you would say after some time with him." I looked at him. "I'm still angry with you for not asking me first. You could have at least asked." He shook his head, laughing.  
  
"No my dear, if I always asked you before I introduced you to a suitor, you would never marry."   
  
I laughed with my father as we made our way back inside the castle, wondering exactly how long it would be before the count returned for me.  
  
Dinner that night seemed strange now that our guests were gone, and my father and I were the only ones in the large dining hall. I remembered what it was like to see the count sitting there, his warm smile and handsome face. I imagined that he was there with us, enjoying a warm meal, instead of riding through snow covered mountains to battle.  
  
And there was still the possibility that he would never return to me. No matter how great a warrior he was, not even he was a match for fate. All that I could do was pray for his safe return, and also for Van Helsing's.   
  
In the short time that I had spent with him I had grown to admire Van Helsing. He was definitely a very loyal friend to the count, and a very honorable man.  
  
Life returned to the way it had been, and days went by just as they always had. Then weeks passed, months, and before I knew it it had been nearly five years since the count and Van Helsing left.  
  
I thought that time would pass slowly but in the end it did not. I was nearing my nineteenth birthday when at last the count returned. 


	5. The Count's Return

The sun had not yet risen when I awoke for an early morning ride. I began dressing in my riding clothes, pulling on my leather boots and coat. Finally I strapped on my sword, just in case I needed it.  
  
As I made my way to the stables the sun began to slowly rise. It looked to be another cool spring day, perfect for a ride through the Transylvanian countryside.   
  
I found my black mare in the stable and saddled her, then rode through the castle gates and into the nearby forest. I rode for several hours, making my way through forests and fields that I knew well. I had made a wide turn back in the direction of the castle when I heard the sound of horses galloping somewhere nearby.  
  
I stopped my horse in the edge of a forest, hidden from view. Listening, I could tell that it was a very large group heading my way. They had to be heading for my castle, as there was nothing else around for miles.  
  
Still hidden, I watched as the group rode along the edge of the field toward me. They would be passing by me any minute, and I debated about whether or not to reveal myself to them. Just then I noticed a flag flying behind the two leading men. It was black with the symbol of a dragon in red.  
  
I realized that I had seen that same symbol before nearly five years ago, on Count Dracula's armor.   
  
I turned my horse and took a short cut to the castle, arriving there just ahead of the group. Giving my horse to a stable boy, I quickly made my way into the castle and up to my chamber.   
  
Having very little time to make myself presentable to the count and whoever else arrived with him, I quickly picked out my newest dress and put it on.  
  
It was very stunning, made of a rich dark red velvet and silver, and fit snugly around the waist. The neckline was just low enough, and I decided that it was the perfect dress for the occasion. I quickly brushed out my long golden hair, and as I was doing so there was a knock at the door.  
  
My father opened it, a wide smile on his face.  
  
"It appears that you were already aware of our guests' arrival," he said, looking at my dress. "Ready to greet the count?"   
  
"Almost, father," I said nervously, looking in my mirror. "What if I'm not what he expects, or he isn't pleased with me?"  
  
He laughed. "He was more than pleased with you five years ago when you were still just a girl. And now that you're a woman…I think he'll be more than pleased," he said smiling.  
  
"I hope you're right," I said.   
  
"Shall we?," he asked, offering his arm to me. I accepted but did not say anything, I was far too nervous.  
  
A few moments later we walked into the great hall, where there stood quite a large group of people, all carrying on conversations with each other. I looked at my father and once again he smiled.  
  
"Family of Count Dracula, they're all here for the wedding."   
  
"Wedding?," I asked. "And when may I ask is my wedding? No one has informed me of a date." My father cleared his throat. "Well, the count sent word to me a few days ago that he was on his way, and that he would prefer to having the wedding now."  
  
"Now? Oh father why didn't you tell me he was on his way?," I asked, very frustrated with him.  
  
"The count wanted it to be a surprise, my dear. I thought you wouldn't mind," he added. Just then I spotted Count Dracula along with Van Helsing, carrying on a conversation with an older man that had to be the count's father.  
  
"Ah, there's the count," my father said, leading me over to them.  
  
The three men turned to face us as we reached them, and the count's face lit up with a smile.   
  
He was exactly as I remembered him, the same eyes, dark hair, and smile as before. Taking my hand and kissing it gently, his eyes never left mine. "My lovely Katrina, you have grown even more beautiful since the last time I saw you," he said.   
  
"Thank you, my lord," I said smiling.  
  
"Allow me to introduce you to my father, Valerious the Elder," the count said as the older man stepped forward. Smiling kindly, he took my hand in his.  
  
"At last we meet. You are even more beautiful than my son said you were," he added smiling.  
  
I felt myself blush as the count spoke again. "And I'm sure you remember Lord Van Helsing."   
  
I smiled as Van Helsing kissed my hand. "Of course, how could I forget?"  
  
For several minutes I was introduced to important members of the count's family. Finally the count asked to speak with me alone, and we left the great hall to find a more private area. We stepped into one of the sitting rooms, where a glowing fire had been lit. There was no one but us, and the count turned to me.  
  
"I hope that our arrival did not give you too much of a surprise," he said, a slight smile on his lips. "But I could not wait to see you again, Katrina." Leaning over, he kissed me softly for a moment, then pulled away and looked into my eyes. "I have missed you so," he said.   
  
"And I have missed you."   
  
He smiled. "But that is over now, my love. I will not leave you again."  
  
We spoke for a while about the wedding, which I learned was to take place the next evening. I was a bit startled by this, but said nothing. I had known that this day would come for five years, and to say that I was taken by surprise would not be an excuse to delay the wedding.  
  
The ceremony would be held in our great cathedral and followed by a grand ball. This excited me; I had always liked masquerades and parties, though I had been to very few of them.   
  
During the rest of the day guests began to arrive, and by that evening most of the noble families in Transylvania were there. I wondered to myself how all of these people knew about my wedding day before I did. It had certainly been planned, but I had not been told.   
  
That night there was a great feast, and the entire dining hall was filled up with guests.  
  
The count's father and Van Helsing entertained us by telling about their recent victories, but the count only seemed interested in speaking with me. Finally it had grown quite late, and I excused myself saying that I needed my rest for the coming day. The count insisted upon escorting me to my chamber, which I accepted gratefully.  
  
We continued to carry on our conversation until we reached the door to my chamber. There we said goodnight, and shared another long, passionate kiss.  
  
Surprisingly I slept well that night, wondering what the next day would be like, and knowing that this was the last night that I would be sleeping alone. 


	6. The Wedding

The morning of the wedding was spent preparing for that evening, and I had awoken thinking about what I was to wear. It had just occurred to me that I had no wedding gown, and certainly no time for one to be fitted and made.  
  
As I was pacing the floor of my chamber wondering what to do my father came in, along with two of my servants. They were carrying a large thin box, which my father had them put on my bed. I looked at it curiously, and then at him.  
  
"Open it, my dear. I think you'll find that you can put it to good use."  
  
I pulled the lid off of the box quickly, and was amazed by what was inside. It had to be the most beautiful gown I had ever seen, of a flowing silvery-white material. I lifted it up out of the box, unable to speak.  
  
It was intricately detailed, with what appeared to be jewels sewn into the bodice. The top was of a corseted fashion, with detailed lacing up the back.  
  
My father had been watching my reaction with a smile on his face. "Well, will it do?"  
  
I looked up at him grinning. "It's gorgeous. Where did you find it?"   
  
"It was your mother's. She wore it at our wedding. I'm sure she'd want you to have it now."  
  
I laid the dress down on the bed and walked over to him, giving him a hug. "Thank you father. It's wonderful."  
  
After my father left I simply admired the dress for some time, then I had my servants run up a hot bath. I learned from them that the rest of the household had been very busy all morning preparing food and decorations, and that our rarely used ballroom had been transformed into a magnificent spectacle.   
  
The afternoon came quickly, and soon there were servants bustling all around me preparing me for the ceremony.   
  
It was nearing time for the wedding to begin when my father came for me. I was already dressed in my mother's gown, my long hair swept up and pinned on top of my head. Surprisingly the dress was a perfect fit; my mother must have been the same size that I was when she married.   
  
I was sitting in front of my mirror, looking at my reflection, when my father entered.  
  
Smiling, he walked over to me and laid his hand on my shoulder. "You look lovely, my dear."  
  
I did not answer him, but continued to look at my reflection in the mirror.   
  
"It's almost time for the ceremony to begin. Are you ready to marry the count?"  
  
I looked up at him in the mirror. "I suppose I am."  
  
"Don't worry, Katrina. You will be happy together, I promise you. The count loves you, I can tell he does."  
  
I stared at my father. "He does? How do you know?" He smiled again. "You can see it in his eyes, in the way he looks at you. He does love you, Katrina."   
  
I looked down at my dress, feeling relieved somehow but nervous.   
  
"It is time, Katrina," my father said, holding out his hand to me. I took it, and together we made our way to where several hundred people, and the count, waited.  
  
The ceremony passed much more quickly than I thought it would. My father escorted me down the aisle of the enormous cathedral to where the count stood waiting.   
  
He was extremely handsome, dressed in a fancy black uniform, his hair pulled back neatly. He smiled as we made our way to him, and took my hand from my father when we reached him.  
  
As the priest performed the ceremony, I found that I could not take my eyes off of the count. I thought about what my father had said about him loving me, and as we looked at each other I realized just how obvious it was.  
  
I had said when I was younger that I would never marry a man that did not love me, and I kept that promise.  
  
At last we exchanged vows, and a kiss that seemed to last forever. Smiling at each other, we made our way back down the aisle and to the grand feast that had been prepared.   
  
The feast was by far the largest I had ever been to. The great dining hall had been wonderfully decorated, and every type of food I could imagine was served. Afterwards we sat in conversation for some time, the count and I unable to take our eyes off of each other.  
  
Finally it was time for the grand ball to begin. It truly was a magnificent spectacle, and as the count led me into the ballroom I was unable to speak. I stared around in disbelief; all of it must have cost a fortune. The count was watching me and smiled.  
  
"I thought that you would like it."   
  
I looked at him questioningly. "You had all of this done for me?" He smiled again and nodded, just as music started to play.   
  
He held out his hand to me. "I believe that this dance is for us."  
  
Smiling, I took his hand and we began to dance. The music was lovely as we glided smoothly across the dance floor, paying attention only to each other. The count was an excellent dancer, and he spun me around the ballroom with ease.  
  
"I don't think I have had the chance to tell you, but you look very beautiful tonight," he said looking into my eyes. "That dress looks very lovely on you."  
  
I smiled. "Thank you, my lord. It was my mother's gown."  
  
We continued dancing as the song ended and another began. Other couples filled the ballroom and began dancing around us. It was a wonderful sensation; I felt like my feet were barely touching the floor as the count twirled and dipped me.  
  
After the song ended the count and I were a bit out of breath, and we made our way over to where Van Helsing stood alone, watching the dance.  
  
As we approached him I noticed that his eyes were on me, not his friend. But the count took no notice.  
  
"Gabriel, won't you dance? It's a shame for you to spend the entire evening merely watching," the count teased him smiling.  
  
"Maybe later, Vladislaus," Van Helsing answered.  
  
For some time we spoke to guests, who offered their congratulations again and again. At last Van Helsing and I stood talking, the count busy speaking with a man that seemed to be another good friend of his.   
  
A song ended and another began, and Van Helsing looked at me. "Would you like to dance, my lady? If your husband doesn't mind, of course," he said smiling and glancing at the count.  
  
"I don't think that he would mind. I would ask, but he seems to be very deep in conversation at the moment." I smiled. "So yes, my lord, I would like to dance."  
  
Van Helsing led me onto the dance floor where the dance was just beginning. We began to dance, and I found that he was, like the count, a very good dancer. As he spun me around the ballroom I became caught in his eyes, which seemed so deep and gentle. Finally, feeling a bit embarrassed, I pulled my eyes away from his. I glanced into the crowd of people that stood watching the dance, and my eyes fell upon the count.   
  
He was no longer in conversation, but stood watching us intently. He had a strange expression on his face, one that I had never seen him wear. I could not place what it was; surprise, perhaps?  
  
He passed out of my line of vision, and for a few moments I could not spot him in the crowd. Then I caught sight of him again, and this time his expression was clear to me: jealousy.   
  
It caught me by surprise, and then I became afraid that I had angered him. Van Helsing must have noticed my fear, asking if I was well. I answered that I was, and as soon as the song ended I made my way back towards the count, followed by Van Helsing.  
  
He was watching me carefully as we reached where he was standing, and I gave him a smile. He returned the smile, but I noticed that it did not reach his eyes, which seemed almost cold.   
  
"I see that you finally got Gabriel to dance," he said calmly.  
  
"Yes, I did. You seemed to be a bit busy, I didn't think you would mind."  
  
He gave me a small, almost sad smile. "Well, my dear Katrina, I believe that it is getting a little late. Perhaps we should retire for the night."  
  
I nodded, a little nervous about the count's behavior. He didn't seem to be angry, but then again I had never seen him angry before. We said goodnight to Van Helsing, my father, and a few others before leaving the ballroom. We made our way through the castle halls for several minutes in silence, and then the count stopped and turned to me.  
  
For a moment he simply looked at me, then he took me into his arms and kissed me like he had never done before. I returned his passionate kisses, my arms around his neck.   
  
Suddenly he stopped and pulled away from me. "No, no, not yet my dear." Taking my hand he led me up a staircase, and I realized where we were going: to one of the large towers that was rarely used. I had thought that perhaps we would be staying in my own chamber, or perhaps one closer to my father or the guests.   
  
We finally reached the large door to the tower chamber, and the count opened it, allowing me to enter first.  
  
I did so, and I heard the door close behind me. The room was enormous, and included a huge, elaborately carved four-poster bed, a desk, and many other pieces of large furniture. The room had been decorated for our wedding night, with candles glowing around the room and wreaths of flowers here and there.  
  
I turned to face the count, who now stood watching me. "You….?" I asked, gesturing to the decorations around us.  
  
He smiled. "Yes," he said, walking toward me.  
  
"It's beautiful."  
  
"I thought that it would be to your liking," he said. I turned around to look at the room, admiring the soft glow of the candles.  
  
I felt his presence close behind me, and my heartbeat sped up as I felt his fingers trail down my arm. He then began to kiss my neck, softly at first and then with greater passion. I felt his hands slide down my waist and to my hips, then he began loosening the lacing of my gown.  
  
He seemed very good at this, for soon I felt the dress loosen completely. Taking his hands, he slowly and gently pushed the shoulders of the dress down over my arms. I felt the dress slide off onto the floor, and slowly I turned to face him.   
  
He caressed my face with his hand, letting it trail down my neck. "God you're beautiful," he whispered.  
  
Smiling, I reached up and took the pins out of my hair, allowing it to fall down my shoulders and back. For a moment he simply stared at me, with what seemed to be a look of amazement. Then our lips met again in a kiss even more passionate than before.   
  
As I felt the count's mouth on my neck, my arms wrapped around him, I smiled to myself. Perhaps being married wouldn't be nearly as bad as I had thought. It might even be enjoyable.  
  
A/N: I know, I know…it was going so nicely wasn't it? Sorry to disappoint, but I said I was going to keep this at PG13, so there you have it. So just imagine the rest of the scene on your own, it won't be that hard. ;) 


	7. Arrival At Valerious Manor

I awoke the next morning in the arms of the count, who still slept. For a while I simply watched him, not wanting to wake him from his peaceful sleep. At last I leaned over and kissed him softly, and as I pulled away his eyes opened.  
  
"Good morning, my lord," I said with a smile.  
  
He looked at me and smiled, bringing his hand up to touch my face. "Good morning. Did you get enough sleep, my dear?"  
  
"Yes," I answered grinning. The truth was that neither of us had gotten much sleep that night.  
  
For a moment he looked at me with a grin.   
  
"No," I said, laughing.  
  
The count kissed me and then got up off of the bed. I watched him walk across the room to where his clothes lay and begin dressing. I wondered to myself why he was in such a hurry, and finally I asked him this.  
  
"Did your father not tell you?" he asked turning to look at me.  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"That we are leaving today for my father's castle, where we will be living," he answered, putting on his boots.  
  
I looked at him for a moment. "We're leaving today?"  
  
"Yes." The count looked up at me. "You didn't think that we were going to live here with your father, did you?" he added with a laugh.  
  
I didn't answer him. In truth, I hadn't really thought about where we were going to be living.  
  
The count waited for me to dress, then together we made our way down for the morning meal. It was still fairly early, but many of the guests were already there. My father joined us and then so did the count's, but I noticed that Van Helsing was not there. The count noticed too, and mentioned Van Helsing's absence.  
  
Lord Valerious told us that he had left early that morning, with some sort of urgent business to attend to. The count seemed almost glad to hear this, and I wondered if he was still thinking about the ball.  
  
As soon as we finished eating everyone began to prepare for the journey home, including all of the guests that had come for the wedding. I learned that we would be leaving very soon, even before noon. My servants had already packed my belongings the night before.  
  
I stood in my room alone, looking at everything that was so familiar and comforting to me. I knew that it would be a long time before I returned, but I wondered how long.   
  
At last it was time to leave, and I could tell that my father was melancholy as we said goodbye.   
  
"I will visit you soon, I promise," he whispered in my ear as he hugged me. I nodded, not quite knowing what to say. We stood in the castle courtyard as we had five years ago when the count had left. It was amazing how time had gone by.   
  
The count opened the door of a nearby carriage, and held out his hand to me. "Ready, my love?"  
  
I looked at him. "I would prefer to ride my horse up front with you, if you don't mind."  
  
My father looked at me and began to protest, but the count silenced him. "I don't see why not. I've heard that you're a very skilled rider, my dear. I would be very pleased for you to ride with me."   
  
Smiling, I had my horse saddled and brought to me. I mounted her, thankful that I was able to take my old friend with me.   
  
"Goodbye, father," I said.  
  
Taking my hand, my father smiled up at me. "Goodbye, my Katrina. May God watch over you always."  
  
The count rode up beside me. "Ready to go?"   
  
I nodded, and followed him to the head of the large group that would be returning with us. I turned one last time to look at my father and my home, and then rode through the gates with the count and Lord Valerious.  
  
The rest of that day was spent riding through the Transylvanian fields and forests. Occasionally we would pass a castle on the hillside, but other than that we saw nothing but trees and fields.  
  
We made our way through mountains, and at last it began to grow dark. I was wondering how much longer we would be traveling when at last we stopped. Learning that this was only a short rest break, I dismounted, aching from a whole day in the saddle. There was a stream nearby, and I allowed my horse to drink from it. As I was doing so the count walked over to me.  
  
"We had to stop for a short break, but it will not be much longer now," he said looking at me. "We should reach Vaseria tonight."  
  
"Vaseria is where we will live?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. Our castle is there, and it is the village that my father rules over. Someday it will be ours." He lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, allowing his fingers to brush my skin.  
  
"I think that you will be happy there," he said with a smile.  
  
A few minutes later we were preparing to leave when I heard a rumbling in the distance. The wind began to blow, and I could see dark clouds heading our way. The others saw it too, and mounted their horses quickly to leave. The women hurried back into the carriages, and the count came over to me just as I was about to mount my horse.  
  
"I want you to ride the rest of the way in the carriage, my dear. I am afraid that we are about to be caught in a storm."  
  
Not wanting to argue, I nodded and allowed him to see me into one of the large carriages at the front of the group. It was empty, and the windows had been covered for privacy, which made it quite dark inside.  
  
I felt the carriage start to move, and just then the thunder rumbled ominously very close by.  
  
We traveled for a ways trying to outrun the storm, with it very close behind us. It began to rain, quietly at first and then louder and harder until I could hear nothing else. A few moments later I felt the carriage stop, and the door opened.   
  
The rain was still pouring, but the count helped me out of the carriage and through large wooden doors into a great stone hall. The rest of the group was doing the same, and the ladies in their fine dresses came through the doors drenched and annoyed.   
  
I began to look around me, and realized that we were in a castle, and a large one at that. It looked as if no one had lived there in years, and dust covered the entire room. On one side there was a large stone staircase, leading upward into the castle. On one wall was an enormous fireplace, which would have heated the entire room when lit.  
  
Lord Valerious walked over to me, looking around the castle as I was. "Not nearly as welcoming as Valerious Manor, but it will have to do for tonight I'm afraid."  
  
"We're staying here for the night?" I asked.  
  
He nodded. "I'm afraid so. It's impossible to travel in this weather."  
  
As the storm raged outside, we looked for places in the castle where the night could be spent. There were a few rooms on the bottom floor with old furniture, and a dining hall with a large amount of chairs. These were dusted off and brought into the main hall, where we sat and waited for the storm to pass.  
  
I sat beside Lord Valerious and the count, listening to the thunder and rain outside. Finally I fell asleep, and was awoken by the count early the next morning. The storm had finally stopped, and daybreak was only an hour or two away.  
  
We soon began the rest of our journey to Vaseria, and I rode at the front of the group again with the count.  
  
Just as the sun was beginning to rise, I saw my first glimpse of what was to be my home. The first thing that I noticed about Vaseria was not the village itself, but Valerious Manor. It loomed ahead of us in the distance, a great stone structure with many towers.  
  
On one side of it lay a deep river, and it sat at the foot of the snow covered mountains. The village was nestled next to it, shrouded in an early morning mist.  
  
As we drew closer I noticed how big the castle actually was. It was larger even than my home, and rose up hundreds of feet in the air. At last we reached the village, and made our way through it to the castle.  
  
A few minutes later the count helped me from my horse, and I stood for the first time in the courtyard of my new home.  
  
The count was watching my reaction, and smiled. "I hope that this will do for your new home."  
  
"It certainly will," I said looking up at it.  
  
"Come, my love," he said offering me his arm. "I think you'll be very pleased with the armory."  
  
I gave him a smile, taking his arm and walking with him through the great wooden doors of Valerious Manor. 


	8. Betrayal and Jealousy

During the next few weeks, I began to feel more comfortable at Valerious Manor. Vladislaus, as he insisted that I call him, showed me around the castle and village. Within a few days of my arrival I could find my way around well.  
  
The castle was very spacious, with an enormous armory and library, and a dining hall to seat hundreds. I found that Lord Valerious was much like my own father, and he treated me very kindly.   
  
During my third week there, I sat with Lord Valerious and Vladislaus in the dining hall one evening. The two of them were in conversation, and I was finishing my glass of wine, not paying much attention to what they were saying. And then Lord Valerious said something that caught my attention.  
  
"Lord Van Helsing should be arriving tomorrow evening, just in time for the feast."  
  
"Yes, so I have been informed," Vladislaus answered. "His 'urgent business' must have not taken him very long."  
  
He looked over at me, and I realized that I had been listening to their conversation very obviously.   
  
"Is something wrong, my love?" he asked.  
  
"No," I answered giving him a smile. "I did not know that there was going to be a feast, that's all."  
  
Lord Valerious nodded. "It is to celebrate the recent victories of the Order. I believe that your father will also be attending," he added with a smile.  
  
This of course made me very happy. Although I felt more at ease in my new home than I had, it would still be comforting to see my father again. I had not seen him in almost four weeks, and I missed him greatly.  
  
Even though I had my own large chamber, that night I stayed with Vladislaus as I had since I arrived. As I lay in his arms, he kissed me softly, and I closed my eyes enjoying the feeling. He breathed in deep the scent of my hair, which smelled of lavender and roses.  
  
"I love you, Katrina," he whispered into my ear.  
  
I smiled and opened my eyes to look into his. "And I love you."   
  
I realized then that I always had loved him. But I could tell that for him, hearing me say those words meant everything.

* * *

I awoke late the next morning, alone in the large four-poster bed. I took my time getting dressed, and decided to wear a lovely cream-colored gown that the count had given me.   
  
As I had expected, the guests that would be joining us for the feast started to arrive by noon. Many of the knights arrived still in full armor, and looking as though they had not long been out of battle.  
  
Van Helsing arrived early in the afternoon, as I was making my way down the great staircase in the entrance hall. I watched him enter the castle and be greeted warmly by Vladislaus. As I continued down the staircase I saw him look up at me and smile.  
  
"I see that your lovely bride has joined you here," he said to Vladislaus as I reached them.  
  
The count smiled. "Yes, I just couldn't leave her behind. She is the world to me." He lifted my hand and kissed it softly, looking deeply into my eyes.  
  
I smiled, and felt myself blush slightly.  
  
For the rest of the afternoon Vladislaus was kept busy greeting guests. I did not know many of them, and when I had a chance I excused myself and went into the enormous library. The count's family had obviously collected books for centuries, and there were tons of things that I had never read.  
  
I picked out a book that looked interesting and took a seat next to the fireplace. I had only been reading for a few minutes when I heard the library door open.  
  
It was Van Helsing, and as soon as he noticed me he stopped. "Forgive me, my lady, I did not mean to intrude." He backed away and started to leave, but I stopped him.  
  
"No, my lord, there is no intrusion. Please, come in." I smiled as he closed the door and walked into the room. "I was getting a bit lonely, to tell the truth."  
  
He smiled and nodded. "Actually I was wanting to find a bit of loneliness, which seems very difficult with all of the guests arriving."  
  
"Oh. Well, forgive me if I am intruding upon you," I said with a laugh.  
  
Van Helsing grinned, and for a moment I could not take my eyes off of him. "Oh no, my lady. I prefer your company to anyone else's. May I?" he motioned to the seat beside me.  
  
"Of course," I said, in my mind running back over his last words.  
  
For what had to be well over an hour the two of us sat and talked. We discussed many things, from weapons and horses to our childhoods. There was something about Van Helsing that made me calm and relaxed. It was not that I had never felt like this with the count, but only that I felt it more with Van Helsing.  
  
At last we checked the time, and I realized that I was running a bit late getting ready for the feast. Van Helsing and I left the library, and I made my way up to my chamber.  
  
When I arrived, I found Vladislaus there waiting for me.   
  
"Where have you been, my dear? I've been waiting for you for quite some time." He did not seem irritated, and I was glad. He was a very patient man, or at least with me.  
  
"I'm sorry, my love. I was reading in the library and lost track of the time."   
  
I don't know why I did not tell him the whole truth, but for some reason I thought better of it. He simply smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yes, you are so fond of that library." He stood up from the chair he had been sitting in, and picked up something wrapped in paper, handing it to me.  
  
I smiled, looking at the package. "What's this?"  
  
"Open it, you'll see," he said, walking around the room but still watching me.  
  
I pulled off the paper, and unfolded what was inside. It was a lovely gown, made of a rich deep blue velvet and trimmed in gold. The bodice had very detailed stitching in gold thread of roses, and the skirt was full and flowing, with layers of golden fabric under the blue velvet. It was sleeveless, with small golden tassels on the shoulders.  
  
It was absolutely stunning, and had to have cost a great amount. I was speechless, and continued to stare at the gown.  
  
"Well, what do you think?"   
  
I looked up at him. "It's wonderful. Where on earth did you get it?"  
  
He smiled. "I had it brought from England. I wanted you to have the most magnificent gown tonight, since you will already be the most magnificent woman."  
  
I smiled at him, unable to say anything. Then I put my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.   
  
"Will you put it on for me?" he asked smiling, his arms still around me.  
  
I grinned. "Of course."  
  
A few moments later I had slipped off my dress and into the gown, and Vladislaus laced the back for me. It was even more beautiful on, and once again I was speechless. This time, however, I was not the only one.  
  
I stood in front of the mirror admiring the gown for a while until it was time for the feast to begin. Vladislaus and I went down to the dining hall together, and I became aware that I was being watched by nearly everyone. This continued for much of the feast, and the enormous dining hall was filled with knights of the Holy Order.   
  
My father had arrived earlier that evening, and I enjoyed being with him during the feast. Van Helsing was sat with us also, and he too could not seem to stop looking at me.  
  
I traced my hand around my neck, feeling the other gift that the count had given me: a necklace covered with pearls and blue jewels to match my gown. He seemed to enjoy giving me gifts, and since I had arrived at Valerious Manor I had received a gift from him nearly every week.  
  
We finally finished our meals after some time, and Lord Valerious gave a speech. It was quite lengthy, and when he had finished it had already grown late.  
  
Afterwards most of the men followed Lord Valerious into another room, where they discussed matters pertaining to the Order. Many of the women retired for the night, but I did not feel tired in the least. I decided to take a walk and went out onto one of the castle's large open balconies.  
  
It was a clear, still night, with a sliver of moon rising into the star filled sky. I leaned over onto the carved stone balustrade and looked down at the river far below. It was an amazing view, and for a while I stood looking at the moonlit mountains and forests.   
  
I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Van Helsing. He seemed surprised to see me, and then he smiled.  
  
"Forgive me once again for bothering you, my lady. Apparently we think of the same places when we want to be alone."  
  
I laughed. "Yes, we do seem to." I turned back to look at the moon. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"  
  
Van Helsing came to stand beside me, looking at the river and mountains as I did. "Yes," he answered. For several minutes we were both silent, and as I watched Van Helsing I could tell that something was wrong. He seemed far less cheerful than usual, and something was on his mind.   
  
"Is something wrong?" I finally asked him.  
  
For a moment he was silent, then he turned to look at me. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"  
  
"No, of course not," I answered, wondering what it would be.  
  
He glanced down, and then into my eyes. "Did you want to marry Vladislaus, or were you forced to?"  
  
I was startled at this question, but I answered him.  
  
"He did not tell you?"  
  
Van Helsing blinked. "Tell me what?"  
  
I looked up at him. "It was all arranged."  
  
He shook his head and finally spoke. "No. Vladislaus never said anything, but that the two of you were to marry when he returned."  
  
"Yes," I said. "I was fourteen when my father offered him my hand in marriage. I was furious that he didn't ask me first, but there was little that I could do."  
  
For a moment neither of us spoke. Then Van Helsing broke the silence. "So you never wanted all of this." His tone almost sounded sad, but I could not tell. I did not answer him, and at last he turned to face me.   
  
"Katrina, there is something that I must tell you. I know that I should not, and that what I long for can never be, but I have to say this." He paused for a moment, and then said the words that would change our fates.  
  
"Katrina, I love you. I always have, since the day I first saw you. You were no more than twelve or thirteen, and I did not want to force you to marry me."  
  
I did not know what to say. Inside was a whirlwind of emotions, and I did not know what to think or feel.   
  
"I swore to myself that one day when you were older I would return to you, and try to win your heart," Van Helsing continued. "But a few years later I realized that it was too late. Vladislaus had stolen your heart, or so I thought."   
  
Tears began to fill my eyes, though I do not know why. "At first I did not want this. I cried and thought that I could never be happy with a man I had never met. But then I got to know him, how kind and caring he is, and all that changed."  
  
Van Helsing shook his head, looking out at the mountains. "I love my friend, he is a brother to me. But there are dark things about him that you do not know."  
  
"No, do not do this. Please, Gabriel, I do not want to hear lies."  
  
Van Helsing looked at me. "I would never lie to you, Katrina. I love you both, and I would never hurt either one of you. But there are things that you should know."  
  
I looked away, and he continued. "He is not always so kind and patient, Katrina. He has a much darker side on the battlefield and away from your eyes. I have seen him do things that no God-fearing man would do."  
  
I shook my head, tears now streaming down my face. "Why are you telling me this?"  
  
He looked at me, his eyes full of concern and compassion. "Forgive me, Katrina. I would never wish to upset you or hurt you in any way. I only thought that you should know the truth."  
  
I continued to cry silently, and allowed Van Helsing to take me in his arms. For several minutes I cried into his shoulder, neither one of us speaking.  
  
At last I pulled away and looked up at his face. Bringing his hand up, he wiped a tear from my cheek. Then he leaned over, and I felt his lips touch mine. He kissed me softly and slowly, as if we had forever to share a kiss.  
  
And then I heard footsteps on the stone balcony, and an abrupt stop. I pulled away from Van Helsing, and turning toward the footsteps I felt my heart almost stop.  
  
There stood the count, a glass of wine in his hand, and a look on his face that cannot be described. I watched the emotions on his face, from pain and sadness to extreme anger.   
  
"Well, well," he said through clenched teeth.  
  
Van Helsing let go of me and stepped toward him. "Vladislaus, it's not what it seems, allow me to explain--"  
  
"IT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SEEMS!" the count roared. "I find my best friend and my wife in each other's arms, and you would tell me that it is not what it appears?"  
  
Van Helsing took another step toward him. "Please, just let me explain…"  
  
Vladislaus struck him hard across the face with his fist, and Van Helsing fell to the ground at my feet.  
  
I looked down at Van Helsing and then up at the count. "Please don't…don't do this I beg you…"  
  
He looked at me for a moment, and I could see the pain of betrayal in his eyes. Then he looked back at Van Helsing, who had stood up once again, blood on his face.  
  
"I don't need your explanations, my _friend_," Vladislaus spat. "Tomorrow morning we will see once and for all who is the better man, and who deserves to die."  
  
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "No, don't do this Vladislaus, there's no point in it--"  
  
"Be quiet!" he snapped at me. "You have caused enough problems already my dear."   
  
He had never spoken to me this way, and I began to sob uncontrollably.  
  
"Tomorrow morning, Van Helsing, first thing."   
  
He then walked over to me and took my arm firmly, leading me away. "Come, my dear. I think that you and I need time alone."  
  
I looked back one last time to see Van Helsing, blood running down his face, and sorrow in his eyes.


	9. Of Love and Loss

I allowed Vladislaus to lead me through the castle, extremely thankful that no one met us along the way. We finally reached his chamber, and I heard him slam the door behind us.   
  
I turned to look at him, tears still streaming down my face. He seemed calm, but I knew that it was only on the surface. Underneath that was a storm of rage, I could see it in his eyes.  
  
He stepped toward me, until he stood close enough to kiss me. "Why, Katrina? I want to know why," he whispered.  
  
I shook my head, crying. "I don't know…I don't know why."  
  
For what seemed like an eternity he stood there looking into my eyes. In spite of all the shame and regret I felt, I did not look away from him. As I looked into his eyes they seemed to grow cold, and something else was there that hadn't been before.   
  
Finally, as if he had grown tired of looking at me, Vladislaus moved away and began pacing around the room. The silence between us was maddening. Finally he stopped pacing and looked at me.  
  
"Since the day that we met and your father promised you to me, I have sworn that I would make you happy. I would give you everything, and all of my love until the ending of the world. I would deny you nothing, and all I asked for in return was your happiness; to be with you and be loved by you."  
  
Listening to his words I began to cry silently again, unable to look at his face as he continued.  
  
"And I thought that I had your love. But now I know the truth. You never really loved me, did you Katrina?"  
  
I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, shaking my head. "I love you, more than life itself. What you saw tonight was never meant to happen, it just did.…"  
  
"But you love him, don't you?" he hissed, stepping toward me.  
  
I continued to shake my head. "I don't know."  
  
It was silent again for several minutes as Vladislaus looked at me.   
  
"Well, my dear. You can have the love of two men, but you can only love one."   
  
He then opened the door that led from his chamber into mine. "You will be staying in your own chamber tonight, I need my rest for in the morning."  
  
I remembered his challenge to Van Helsing, and fear filled me. "No, don't do this. He is your friend, and this is not worth one of you dying. Please, Vladislaus."  
  
He gave me a cold smile. "In case you didn't notice, my dear, our friendship has come to an end. And this has to end as well. Besides, this is my duty as a husband."  
  
I shook my head, becoming angry at his pride and stubbornness. "Don't be a fool. This isn't worth dying for, and neither am I!"  
  
Thinking that this would enrage him, I was surprised when he simply smiled. His smile, however, did not reach his eyes. "You are worth dying for. But this is not about who gets you, I've already won that battle."  
  
"Then what is it about?" I asked coldly, stepping in front of him.  
  
He looked down at me, no longer smiling. "Who gets your heart."  
  
I looked up at him in disbelief. "And you think that one of you has to die to settle that? It's already been decided, Vladislaus. I gave my heart to you."  
  
For a moment he stared into my eyes. "Did you?"  
  
It seemed like forever that we stood looking at each other in the doorway to my chamber. I was no longer crying, but looking into his eyes as intensely as he was looking into mine.   
  
"Goodnight, Katrina," Vladislaus said finally, and as I stepped inside my chamber he shut the door behind me.  
  
I did not sleep well that night, if sleep is what you would call it. For the longest time I lay staring at the ceiling, playing over and over in my mind the events of the evening. Also, I could not stop thinking about what the next morning would bring. Whatever the outcome, it would not be good. Somewhere lost in all my fearful thoughts I drifted to sleep at last.  
  
I awoke from my light sleep very early the next morning, which I had intended to do. I knew that the count and Van Helsing's duel would probably take place at dawn, and I wished to speak to Vladislaus one last time before he went. I hoped somehow to change his mind, but I knew that it was hopeless.  
  
Entering his chamber I found it empty, and I knew where he must be. I dressed quickly and made my way quietly to the armory on the other side of the castle.  
  
A little while later I entered the armory silently, and heard a few sounds of movement near the back of the room. I could tell that it was only one person, for there was nothing being said. Stepping around the corner I saw Vladislaus, already beginning to put on his armor.  
  
Even though I moved quietly, he turned to look at me. "I thought that you would try one last time to stop me," he said, continuing to strap on armor.  
  
"There is no need for this. Things will never be the same, I know, but there is no need for death," I pleaded.  
  
Vladislaus stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "You're too late my dear. You started this, and now I must end it."  
  
I shook my head and looked away, the tears beginning to return. I knew that it was hopeless, and I gave up on trying to convince him of this. Deciding to myself that all I could do was to show him that I did love him, I took a piece of his armor and began to strap it on.   
  
Confused, he stopped and looked at me. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Helping the man I love prepare for battle," I answered, continuing what I was doing.  
  
For a moment he did not answer me. "You seem to know what you're doing," he said finally.  
  
I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Of course I know what I'm doing. I grew up around all of this; I know as much as any man about war and preparing for it." Only I had never known of a war between two best friends over a woman's love.  
  
We were both silent until all too quickly the count was in full armor and ready to leave. Then at last he turned to me.  
  
"Forgive me, Katrina, for everything I have ever done that hurt you. Never has that been my intention."  
  
I was completely startled at this, and did not know what to say. "My lord, you have never hurt me in any way. It is I who should be begging your forgiveness."  
  
He shook his head. "You no longer have need to ask for forgiveness from me. You have that already." He looked into my eyes and took my hands in his. "No matter what happens today, know that I will love you always. Not even death can stop my love for you."  
  
Then he kissed me -- one long, fiery kiss -- and left the room with his sword and shield. For several minutes I stood there where he had left me, wondering what I could do now. There was nothing to do but wait and pray, I realized.   
  
Suddenly I wondered if anyone else knew about all of this, and if even Lord Valerious knew. Surely he or my father could stop them.  
  
Racing through the castle I at last found my father and Lord Valerious together, on their way down to the dining hall to eat. They had heard nothing of the previous night's events, and quickly I told them everything, my heart aching with regret as I did so.  
  
Although I wanted badly to go with them, they asked me to remain in the castle while they went to find and stop Vladislaus and Van Helsing before it was too late.  
  
I regretted not asking where the battle would take place. It certainly would have saved valuable time for my father and Lord Valerious.  
  
For what seemed like a very long time I sat staring at the castle wall and waiting. Finally I could stand it no more, and realized that I would go insane if I did not know what was happening. Quickly I ran to the stables and took one of the fastest horses, and leaving through the castle gates I followed the tracks around the nearby forest.  
  
I had been riding for several minutes when I heard voices nearby. Turning my horse in that direction, it did not take me long to find them.  
  
As they came into my view, I saw Lord Valerious and my father standing on the ground, and Van Helsing mounting his horse quickly. Looking back at the two men standing, I saw one kneel down next to something on the ground.  
  
I did not want to accept what I was seeing. It could not have happened, my father and Lord Valerious had to have stopped them. But riding closer I began to fully realize what had taken place.  
  
Looking up, Van Helsing saw me riding towards them. Turning his horse in the opposite direction he kicked it hard, and rode away at full speed.  
  
I kicked my own horse hard into a gallop, and dismounted when I reached them, not bothering to wait for my horse to stop. My father caught me and tried to hold me back as I made my way to the figure lying on the ground.  
  
Pushing him aside and ignoring his protests, I stopped dead when I looked down. There, as I had known in the back of my mind, lay Vladislaus….dead. He had a few bloody cuts here and there on his arms, but the one wound that had killed him was in his chest, just below his heart.  
  
I fell to my knees beside him and took his hand in mine. It was still warm; he had not long been dead. I began to cry, uncontrollable sobs and finally I screamed out in pain and rage.  
  
All of this had happened because of me, and now my husband and the man I loved lay before me dead. It was almost too much for me to bear.   
  
My father knelt beside me, and putting his arm around me he tried to comfort me. All I wanted then was to be alone, and I pushed him away. For an eternity I sat there next to my fallen knight, still holding his hand and looking into his handsome face, praying that he would open his eyes.  
  
Finally I was pulled to my feet against my will, but I did not have the energy to fight. My father took me in his arms and slowly led me away.  
  
I have little memory of what occurred just after this. I felt numb, unable to think or feel anything but pain and sadness. At just nineteen years I was already a widow, and it was all my fault.  
  
Then for some reason my mind went to Van Helsing. To my surprise, I did not hate him for this. I found out later that he had grieved as I had, and was seen riding far into the mountains of Transylvania afterwards. That day would be the last that I would see him for many, many years.  
  
A/N: Don't worry, the story's not over yet. :) I would like to thank all of the reviewers and readers, you guys are the ones that make me keep writing. I'm kind of writing this as the prequel to Van Helsing…just thought you'd like to know that. Ahh…wouldn't it be wonderful if they made this into a movie prequel? :) 


	10. The Resurrection

During the next few days my mind was far away as I attended the funeral ceremony and was comforted by family. I could see pity written on the faces of everyone who looked at me, and I wondered to myself exactly how much they all knew about my husband's death.  
  
I went through everything as if in a haze; some sort of horrible nightmare that I kept praying I'd wake from. I greeted the family of the count, most of whom I did not know, until I felt that I could take no more.  
  
Two days after Vladislaus had been killed, he was buried in the Valerious cemetery where his ancestors lay.  
  
The reality of it all was just beginning to sink in, and as I watched him being lowered into the ground I began to cry again. I had tried to be strong up until then, but I could no longer hold it back.  
  
My nights were even worse than my days, and for hours I would sit in the library and try to read. Finally I would fall asleep staring at the fire, to be awoken by my father hours later and taken to my chamber. For several nights this went on, and my father and Lord Valerious did their best to comfort me.   
  
To my surprise neither one was angry with me, and they only seemed to regret what had happened as I did.  
  
Early on the morning after Vladislaus had been buried, I sat alone in the dining hall. I had been unable to sleep, and decided to wait for my father and Lord Valerious to arrive for the morning meal.  
  
There was no movement inside the castle that I could tell, and outside still raged a violent thunderstorm. It had started early the night before and had not stopped since. Thunder was the only sound that was to be heard in the dining hall, and I sat listening to it for some time.  
  
Finally I stood up and walked around the enormous room, remembering happier times there. I had never gotten a chance to study the many paintings and tapestries that hung on the stone walls, and I noticed one that made me catch my breath.  
  
Hanging next to a portrait of Lord Valerious was a large painting of the count, done not long ago from what I could tell. He looked exactly as he had in life, and stared down at me with a stern face. But then perhaps it was not stern at all…   
  
I continued to stare at the portrait, tears streaming down my face, until a flash of lightning through the tall windows illuminated the hall. It was followed by crashing thunder and pouring rain.  
  
And then from behind me was a familiar voice.  
  
"Still thinking about your dear, dead husband? I would have expected you to leave with Van Helsing, the two of you were so close."  
  
I turned around slowly to face the man that spoke, and nearly fainted. There before me stood the count, looking back at me intently with cold eyes. I found that I could not speak, or even scream.  
  
He looked much like he always had, only pale and with bits of soil clinging to his clothes. He stepped towards me with a cool smile.  
  
"Speechless, my love? I had thought that you would be happy to see me alive again."  
  
"How?" I finally managed to whisper.  
  
The count laughed, and the lightening flashed again. "I was given new life, another life. A life that will go on forever."  
  
I did not understand his meaning, and I began to grow very frightened. Backing away from him slowly, I shook my head.  
  
"What in God's name are you?"  
  
He gave me a smirk. "God has nothing to do with what I am, my lovely Katrina. And I have nothing to do with God. He has forsaken me, and so I have forsaken him."  
  
I continued to back away, looking at him with confusion and dread. "Then if God did not bring you back, who did?"  
  
He grinned and a clap of thunder rang throughout the hall. "Satan," he answered.  
  
I looked at him only for a second before turning in the opposite direction and running. I did not get far, however. Running into something solid as steel, I fell to the floor.   
  
I looked up, and standing before me was Vladislaus. Or, I realized, what used to be Vladislaus.  
  
He held out his hand to me. "Do not fear me, Katrina. I could never harm you."  
  
Reluctantly I took his hand, and he effortlessly pulled me to my feet. I stood looking into his eyes, which now seemed different somehow. They were colder, and appeared more aged. He stared back deep into my eyes, and I began to feel calm and unafraid.  
  
I no longer feared him as he spoke softly to me. "You are even more beautiful than you were the morning I left you, my dear. Your face was the last thing I saw in my mind."  
  
He brought his hand up to caress my face, and then leaned in to kiss me. I realized that I wanted him to badly, and as our lips met I returned his kiss.   
  
I was so glad to be held in his arms again; I did not care then what he was or how he had returned.  
  
Pulling away slowly I opened my eyes, and my gaze met his. I forgot everything looking into those eyes; for a few moments life seemed so much simpler.   
  
I was brought back to reality when I heard footsteps on the stone floor and voices. Looking around I saw my father and Lord Valerious entering the dining hall, unaware of our presence for the moment. The count looked up at them too, and at that second his father saw us.  
  
He stopped suddenly, unable to speak. My father too looked up, and had the expression on his face of one who has seen a ghost.  
  
Vladislaus merely smiled at them, still holding on to me firmly. "Hello, father. Lord Vorkovus," he said nodding to my father.  
  
There was a long silence, and then at last Lord Valerious spoke. "Vladislaus…?"  
  
The count turned to them, continuing to hold on to me with one arm. "Yes, father. It is I, your son."  
  
Lord Valerious shook his head slowly in disbelief. "My son is dead. You cannot be he."  
  
Vladislaus laughed and a bolt of lightening struck very close by. "Death did not suit me very well I'm afraid, father. And I received a much better offer."  
  
I found that I could not take my eyes off of him, and as I stared up at him I realized that something about him was very different than before. He looked from his father back to me.  
  
"But of course I could not leave my beautiful bride so soon after our marriage."  
  
Lord Valerious took a few steps forward, still watching Vladislaus as if he were a wild animal.   
  
"I would have given anything for you to have lived, my son. But the dead must stay dead. Even if their hearts are still in this world," he added looking at me. "That is God's law; it must be obeyed."  
  
Vladislaus looked up at him, and I could see pure hatred in his eyes.   
  
"God? I asked your God to grant me one day with the living again -- one day to say goodbye to those I loved. And I was refused." He released me and began to walk toward his father.  
  
"But then I was given a much better offer. To live for all eternity, to never age, to never grow weak and tired. That is something that God did not offer."  
  
I looked over at my father, who was now watching the count as if he were looking at the devil himself. He glanced over at me and then at the count, then slowly began making his way to me. He must have feared for my safety, but for some reason I was not frightened at all.  
  
Vladislaus noticed his slow movement, and gave him a cold smile. "Do not worry, Lord Vorkovus. I did not return to seek my revenge on my lovely Katrina or on Van Helsing."   
  
"Then why did you return?" asked Lord Valerious.  
  
"Is it not obvious? I returned for her," he said motioning to me. "I would not allow time to be stolen from us. And I thought that you would be a bit happier to see me as well, father."  
  
The older man shook his head. "What you have done is unspeakable. You are no longer the man who was my son."  
  
There was a long silence while Vladislaus looked at his father, a cold, lifeless expression on his face. The storm still pounded down on the castle, and lightening flashed across the sky. At last the count spoke.  
  
"Think what you will father. But I have returned from the dead to walk among the living…forever. That is something that not even you can say you have achieved." He then looked at me.  
  
"It has been a very long night, and I think that my bride and I shall retire to my chamber." He then held out his hand to me with a smile. I reached out to take it, but my father stopped me.  
  
"I will not allow this," he said firmly to Vladislaus.   
  
"It does not matter what you will allow, my lord. She is my wife, and does what I wish her to do," the count said, growing a bit angry I could tell.  
  
I realized that he _had_ changed; he would never have spoken that way to my father before, and he would never have shown such control over me. But still I found myself unable to resist him. I came to realize that part of this was his doing, his control over my mind, but that the other part was simply my love for him.  
  
Then, before my father could protest, Vladislaus took my hand and led me from the hall.   
  
In a matter of minutes we were in his chamber, and I was receiving fiery kisses from him. I could tell then that he had not brought me to his chamber to talk.   
  
Even the way he made love to me had changed. He was not as gentle, and it seemed that it was lust in his kisses instead of love.  
  
As I lay in his arms later that morning, I realized that I was extremely tired. I had not slept in days, and at last I felt exhausted. As my eyes grew heavy and slowly closed, I felt Vladislaus stroking my hair softly.   
  
"Sleep, my Katrina," he whispered into my ear. And for the first time in several days perfect sleep came to me. 


	11. Eternal Love

I awoke late that evening, well after the sun had set. I found myself alone, and dressed quickly. Starving and remembering that I had had no food all day, I made my way down to the dining hall.  
  
I saw no one on the way there, but as I grew near the great hall I heard raised voices. Quietly I eased down the grand staircase to see what was happening. Soon I saw Lord Valerious and Vladislaus, in the middle of an extremely heated argument.  
  
Though I had stopped on the staircase and made no noise, Vladislaus seemed to sense my presence somehow. He looked up at me, and I was frightened by the wild, dark look in his eyes.   
  
However it quickly faded, and he smiled at me. "There you are, my love."  
  
I looked from him to Lord Valerious, who was red in the face and breathing hard from the argument.   
  
"Forgive me if I interrupted the two of you."  
  
The count stepped up the stairs and took my hand, leading me down. "Oh no, my dear. We needed to be interrupted I think."   
  
At this he glanced at his father and let out a cold laugh.  
  
"Now," he said turning to me. "Was there anything that you needed? Food, perhaps?"   
  
I nodded my head, feeling like I had not eaten in days. We left Lord Valerious standing there, and together went into the dining hall. Vladislaus had fresh food and wine brought to us, but I noticed that he did not eat. I asked him about this, and he replied that he had eaten earlier that evening.  
  
Over the next few weeks, I slowly began to notice more and more changes in Vladislaus. His personality was in some ways the same as before, but there were also many new, darker elements to it.  
  
He was much shorter in temper, and several times he barked at me for minor things. I would of course become upset, and only then would I see the soft, gentle side of him that I had once known and loved so well.  
  
I was not the only one who had noticed these changes, however. Both my father and Lord Valerious had, not to mention several of the servants that I was close to.  
  
Vladislaus also took to sleeping mostly during the day, and at meal times would be absent or refuse to eat.   
  
Yet he seemed to lose no weight. Over a month passed in which I saw him eat nothing at all, but he remained his usual size.  
  
It became whispered by the servants that Vladislaus was the son of the Devil himself, and that he was behind the strange murders that had been taking place in the village.   
  
In the back of my mind I believed them, but I could not admit to myself that the man I loved was a demon or murderer.  
  
Nearly two months after Vladislaus had mysteriously risen and returned to us, I noticed one morning that Lord Valerious was absent from the dining hall. He was not there at noon as well, and finally I asked my father where he had gone.  
  
Taking me aside, he explained to me that Lord Valerious had left first thing that morning for Rome. He was going there to seek forgiveness from God for having sired such an evil being as Vladislaus Dracula.   
  
He was also seeking help from God on how to deal with the situation, and prayed that he would find his answer there.  
  
My father had remained behind to watch over things, and to make sure that Vladislaus was controlled. I could tell that it greatly bothered him that I was with the count so much, partly because I wanted to be but also because I was forced to be.  
  
Vladislaus and I had our conversations as we always had, but fewer of them I noticed. He had a lust that I could not seem to satisfy, and I began to fear that he was growing tired of me.  
  
Several more weeks past when at last Lord Valerious returned late one afternoon.   
  
I sat with my father in the library when he entered the room quickly and asked me to excuse them. This I did, but upon closing the library door I stood and listened to what Lord Valerious had found out.  
  
He told my father that a voice had spoken to him while praying for forgiveness in Rome, telling him that he must destroy the demon which he had sired. The evil had to be removed from his lands; it could not be allowed to remain there.   
  
He told my father that he had sworn to kill Dracula, and in return he had been told that his entire family would receive eternal salvation.   
  
I listened to all of this in disbelief, my mind racing. Surely Lord Valerious would not kill his own son?   
  
I knew deep in my heart what Vladislaus had become, but I refused to accept it. Part of him was still there, it had to be. Sometimes in the way he looked at me, the way he spoke or touched me, I could see what he once was.  
  
Suddenly I heard footsteps in the library, and hid myself just as the two men left the room in a hurry.  
  
Listening to their voices, I heard them planning to get rid of Vladislaus, and how it was to be done. He would be waking up soon as he always did, after the sun set. I debated in my mind about whether or not to tell him, and finally I decided that I could not.  
  
Several days passed, and Lord Valerious had yet to act against his son. However, it was as if Vladislaus knew what was going on in his father's mind. He was even colder than usual to everyone, and watched his father constantly.  
  
I was unnerved by the fact that he had never asked where his father had been, nor acknowledged his return. Lord Valerious, however, looked to grow more and more troubled each passing day. I knew now that he could not kill his own son as he had been instructed to do, and I wondered what other plans he had in mind.  
  
Nearly a week after his return, I walked past the armory one night to see Vladislaus and his father speaking to each other. The older man wore an extremely stern and determined look on his face. I supposed that this was how he looked when in battle.  
  
Their voices were raised, and as I drew closer I listened to their argument.  
  
"I know that you have been instructed to destroy me, haven't you father? But you are too weak to kill your own son," Vladislaus spat.  
  
The armory echoed with the sound of Lord Valerious slapping the face of his son. Silence followed, then cold laughter.  
  
"You are nothing compared to me now, father. You are just a mortal, destined to die soon, old and weak. But I," Vladislaus continued, stepping toward his father, "will live forever."  
  
Lord Valerious looked at him in complete disgust. "With a damned soul, my son. You will live on, property of the Devil, a hollow creature existing forever in God's disgrace."  
  
The count's eyes appeared to grow darker at this.   
  
"God's disgrace means nothing to me!" he hissed. "I am no longer made weak by God or by emotions. I feel nothing. _Nothing!_"  
  
"Not even love for me?" I suddenly heard myself ask.  
  
I had entered the room, but still stood a good ways away from the two of them, and until this time they had not noticed me.  
  
They both stared at me now, and I thought that I could see something of sadness behind Vladislaus' eyes. But it was Lord Valerious that spoke first.  
  
"Your husband no longer knows how to love, Katrina. The damned do not feel."  
  
Vladislaus made a move to strike his father, but the older man moved out of the way just in time.  
  
Just then my father entered the room, and silently came to stand beside me.  
  
"I may not be able to kill you, Vladislaus, but I will not see you disgrace my household any longer. Tonight I banish you forever from these lands."   
  
With this Lord Valerious pointed to the great map of Transylvania on the wall behind his son. Suddenly it began to frost over, and the map completely vanished to reveal a mirror.  
  
Vladislaus looked at it calmly, and then turned back to his father. "If you are foolish enough to believe that banishing me through that doorway will rid you of me, then by all means try."  
  
Lord Valerious looked at his son coldly, but I could see a hint of sadness in his eyes.  
  
"Once you step through that doorway, you can never return. It will not allow anyone back from the other side."  
  
I looked now at Vladislaus, who still stood calmly watching his father. Just then I realized all that he once was, and what he was now. He had been a great man in life: a skilled warrior, a lover of books and knowledge, and to me a loving husband.   
  
And now I was looking at a shell of what he once was, but still I found that I could not abandon my love for him.  
  
He had told me that death could not stop his love for me, and he had kept that promise. Now, no matter what he was, I could not forget that and let him go alone.  
  
I had made this decision quickly, and I surprised even Vladislaus when I stepped forward and took his hand. I heard my father's protests and felt him try to stop me, but I ignored him and looked up into the eyes of the count.  
  
"I want to go with you."  
  
"Katrina, no--" my father and Lord Valerious both began, but were interrupted by Vladislaus.   
  
"She has made her decision. She is my wife, and belongs beside me. Forever," he added still watching me, a pleased look on his face.  
  
"I cannot allow this, Dracula," my father said sternly, stepping toward us.  
  
"It is what she wants, is it not?" he asked my father. "Would you deny your beloved daughter what she truly desires?"  
  
My father looked at me. "This cannot be what you want, Katrina. I cannot let you do this."  
  
"It is what I want," I said looking at him. "You began this, father, five years ago. You told me that I would love him someday, and I do. Love is not something that can be thrown aside, father."  
  
He said nothing else, but looked at me sadly. Lord Valerious spoke next.  
  
"Katrina, you do not love this…demon," he said, glancing at his son with regret.   
  
"You love the man that he once was, but not he who stands beside you. He is no longer the man that you married…the man that you still love."  
  
"I know what he is, my lord. And I know what he was. But my love for him remains, regardless of all that."  
  
There was a long silence and then Vladislaus put his arm around my waist, still holding on to my hand.  
  
"Come, my beautiful Katrina. The night is still young, and we have yet to make ourselves at home in our forbidden kingdom."   
  
Then he looked up at his father with a smirk. "Goodbye, father. This may be the last goodbye that we share…but then, perhaps not." At this he gave a cold laugh.  
  
I looked over at my father, and wondered if I would ever see him again. His eyes were full of worry and sadness, and it made me want to cry. But somehow I didn't, and I told him goodbye.  
  
Before he had a chance to answer, I felt the count's strong arm spin me around. Together we went through the cold doorway, and into our own private hell. 


	12. Castle Dracula

A/N: I would like to say a BIG thank you to all of my reviewers! I know that I don't thank you guys enough, but I really do appreciate it. As for the story, I think that there are still a few chapters left to go. It should be done just before the new school year starts. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review to let me know!

* * *

I felt myself being pulled through the gateway by the count, and for some reason I shut my eyes tight. Just a few seconds later I felt a freezing cold wind hit me, mixed with ice and snow. I opened my eyes and was both amazed and terrified at what lay before me.  
  
Rising up hundreds of feet in the air before us was a black castle that appeared to have been carved from the mountain side. It had many towers and battlements that rose up into the clouds, and sat on what I realized was the highest mountain peak around.   
  
The very air surrounding the castle was ominous, and it seemed to me that Hell itself had spat up this monstrous palace for its dark prince.  
  
I looked around me and saw that Lord Valerious had been right: there certainly was no way to escape from the castle. The walkway where we stood that led to the castle entrance rose up hundreds and hundreds of feet from the ground below. Vladislaus, however, seemed to be very pleased with his new home, and gave a deep, cold laugh as he looked up at it.  
  
"Well, my dear. I think that this will do for our new palace, don't you?" He looked over at me, and noticed the frightened, uncertain look that I wore.  
  
"Oh don't be scared, my love. This place is ours now, and you have nothing to fear here."  
  
With this he kissed me, and then led me towards the enormous front gates of the castle. The gates themselves looked as though they had been designed for the use of a giant, and the front doors were even more so. Both the gates and the front doors swung open for us magically, as if welcoming their master.  
  
Stepping inside, I was left speechless by the size of the foyer. I had never seen a hall this large before. Great carved stone pillars rose up to the dark ceiling, and as I watched numerous large torches lit themselves around the hall.  
  
The walls of the foyer were made of a shiny black stone, which reflected the light of the torches eerily. The large doors shut behind us with a thud, and I heard the clang of iron as they were bolted. Even though I loved Vladislaus, I began to wonder what I had done. I was now locked in a frightening stone fortress with a man who possessed dark, terrible powers.  
  
All of the torches had now been lit, but sinister shadows danced around the room, and the ceiling above was still cloaked in darkness.   
  
The count looked around at his new palace with a grin, pleasure clearly written on his face. He circled the room, and then made his way over to one of the giant stone pillars. I watched in horror and confusion as he stepped up and began to walk up the pillar to the ceiling.  
  
He did this with ease, as if he did not even think about what he was doing. I did not move from my spot in front of the great doors, but continued to watch him, speechless.  
  
He reached the ceiling and began speaking to me as he walked across it, telling me of things that we could do to make our new home more "comfortable". I could not answer him, and finally he sighed, looking down at me. I watched in awe as he dropped down to land on his feet right in front of me. Seeing the look on my face, he threw his head back and laughed.  
  
"It is wonderful, isn't it my love? The freedom that I have…and soon you will know what it is like."  
  
I didn't know what he meant my this, and I decided that I didn't want to know.  
  
"Freedom? You call being banished to this…prison_ freedom_?"  
  
His smile faded somewhat, but I could tell that he was not angry. I had seen his anger enough to know.  
  
"Katrina….freedom is what you make of it. Besides," he added, looking around him, "I may just grow wings to fly from this place when I wish to."  
  
At that moment there was a flash of lightning followed by a terrible crash of thunder, and Vladislaus once again gave a sinister laugh.  
  
"But do not worry, my dear. I promise that you will be happy here; I will make sure that you are." His fingers played with a lock of my hair, and then caressed my face gently.  
  
"Come, let us find a suitable chamber for you. You seem quite exhausted, and I'm sure that you are."  
  
I suddenly realized that I was very tired for some reason, and I followed him up an enormous staircase and into more twisting halls. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, and never once seemed to be lost. The castle's halls were every bit as foreboding as the outside had been, and I stayed close beside Vladislaus.   
  
At last we stopped at a large, carved door, which unlocked and opened easily for us to enter. I stepped inside, and found myself amazed at the size and furnishings of the room.   
  
It was quite dark inside, even when the candles in the room were lit. Against one wall was a grand canopy bed, draped and covered in dark silks. Several great curtain-covered windows lay along the far wall, along with a door that led onto a balcony. There was also a large fireplace, and an enormous elaborate mirror on one wall. A dresser, a settee, and several chairs lay around the room.  
  
I noticed a dressing screen in one corner, and I realized that this room had been furnished just for the lady of the castle. Admiring the room, I wondered how Vladislaus even knew that it was here. As if reading my thoughts, he put his arm around my waist.  
  
"Does this please you, my love? I knew that you would like this chamber."  
  
All I could do was nod; I felt as though I was in a dream. Then he turned me to face him.  
  
"There is much more to show you, but I think that you need your rest now. Come," he said, taking my hand and leading me to the large bed. I suddenly felt so exhausted that I was barely able to stand, and I felt myself being lifted into the count's arms and onto the bed.  
  
As I drifted to sleep, I barely heard Vladislaus tell me goodnight before leaving and locking the door.  
  
I awoke many hours later, trying to remember where I was. The events of the past evening came back to me, and I walked over to one of the large, covered windows. Pulling the velvet curtains aside, I could see that it was probably late afternoon, though it still snowed.  
  
Glancing at one of the chairs in the room, I noticed something black draped across it. Holding it up, I realized that it was a ball gown made of black velvet. For some reason I decided to put it on, and found that it was a perfect fit.   
  
The neckline was cut very low, and so I put on a large silver cross that had been my mother's.  
  
I decided to explore around the castle, but found that the door was securely locked. Feeling like an animal locked in a cage, I began to grow angry. What gave him the right to lock me in a room, no matter how comfortable, until he saw fit to release me? I decided to take matters into my own hands, and pulling a pin from my hair I began to work at the lock.  
  
It was quite some time before I heard a click, and knew that I had succeeded. Opening the door carefully, I walked out into the hallway. For some reason, it seemed much larger than it had the night before.   
  
I shut the door behind me and began walking away from my chamber. I had no idea where I was going, but for some reason I did not feel afraid.  
  
Torches and candles in the hallways lit themselves as I grew near, and adorning the walls were many paintings and statues. I had been wandering for quite some time when I came upon a grand ballroom.  
  
It was lavishly decorated, with a high, painted ceiling. A large chandelier hung in the center of the room, with dozens of burning candles. I stepped onto the marble floor and walked into the center of the room. There were more statues and paintings here, and on one wall I noticed one that had a familiar face.  
  
Walking over to it, I looked up in stunned silence at a perfect portrait of….me.   
  
I sat wearing a magnificent gown -- the very gown that Vladislaus had given me the night before his death. The deep blue velvet of the gown seemed real enough to touch in the painting. It was very detailed, and even my face and golden hair seemed too real for a portrait.   
  
I stood looking at myself, wondering where this painting had come from. It certainly could not have been done the night that I wore the gown, and I had not had a portrait done in years. I lost track of time staring at the painting, and when I glanced over at one of the tall windows I saw that the sun had set.  
  
Taking one last glance at the painting, I turned and made my way back across the ballroom. I decided to leave through another door, and see where it led. Just as I was crossing the center of the room, I heard Vladislaus speak.  
  
"I am a bit surprised that you did not make your way to the library first, my dear. We have, I believe, one of the largest in the world."   
  
I turned and saw him walking out of the shadows towards me, his hands behind his back in a casual manner. He looked me up and down, a pleased grin on his face.  
  
"I see that you found the gown. I knew that it would be striking on you." I then saw him glance down at the cross, and his smile faded.  
  
"However," he said reaching out and easily breaking the chain away from my neck, "I think that you would be even more beautiful without this. You have no use for it, either." I watched as the cross sizzled and turned into liquid before disappearing in his hand. Although I was frightened by this, I was also angered.   
  
"That cross was my mother's! It was the last thing that I had to remember her by. You had no right…"  
  
"But of what use is it to you, my dear? It can't save you or damn you, so what is the point?" He looked down at me with cold, dead eyes, and I found myself staring back into them. For the first time, I began to feel hatred towards him.   
  
For what felt like eternity I started into his eyes, and I started to feel calm again. What was I thinking? I could not hate him….And then I realized what was happening. His eyes -- they were so comforting, so calm…but so controlling. He was willing me to be calm, to submit to him. Infuriated, I turned from him to leave, but instead I walked straight into him.  
  
"There, there, my Katrina. If it really meant so much to you, I shall find you another just like it. But for now," he said, taking both of my hands in his, "I would like for you to dance with me."  
  
I looked up at him, confused. "Dance with you? But there is no music."  
  
He smiled down at me. "That problem is easily solved."  
  
Suddenly and out of nowhere music began to play. It was beautiful music, strange and enchanting. I felt myself being pulled along by the count, and we began to dance. Dancing with him felt even more wonderful than it had before, and I felt like my feet were not even touching the marble floor. For some time we danced, and I allowed myself to be dipped and spun around the giant room, caught once again in the count's eyes.  
  
Then we stopped, but the music continued to play. Vladislaus pulled me to him and kissed me passionately. He then took position behind me, and began kissing my neck hungrily.  
  
"I want you to be with me forever, Katrina," he suddenly whispered into my ear. "I never want to lose you….I could not bear to lose you."  
  
I closed my eyes, enjoying his touch. "You won't lose me, my lord. I'm right here with you." He stopped caressing my neck and turned me to face him, still holding me tightly against his chest.  
  
"I am already losing you. Every second that passes time is stealing you from me. All too soon you will die, leaving me with nothing but memories."   
  
I stared up into his eyes, confused at what he was talking about. "Everyone must die eventually; it is only what happens. Dying is a part of living." He shook his head. "It doesn't have to be, not for us. Together you and I can live forever, never growing old or sick or tired. Never dying."  
  
I still did not completely understand what he was saying, but I was beginning to grow frightened. He sensed this, and with his voice and mind he calmed me.  
  
"I can give you eternal life, Katrina. You would never know pain again." I shook my head. "I don't understand what you are asking of me. If you wish to make me like yourself, then that is not what I want. And unless I am mistaken, I would have to die first to become like you."   
  
He nodded. "Yes, you would have to die, but only a mortal death. A brief moment of pain, and then it would all be over. And we would exist _forever_."  
  
I gave myself a moment to think about what he was offering. I did not want to be damned like him, to be the walking dead forever. No, I could not accept what he offered, no matter what. As I thought this, I felt my mind and body relax, and I simply held on to the count's shoulders and looked into his eyes.  
  
As if in a dream I felt his mouth on my neck, gently kissing and licking my skin. I felt him dip me down again and lean over me, his mouth still at my neck.   
  
Suddenly I felt him bite, his teeth piercing my flesh and going deep into my neck.   
  
I gasped, and the dreamy state that I had been in shattered. I was terrified of what he was doing to me. Yet I was unable to fight him, and all I could do was wrap my arms around him tightly. I knew that he was draining my blood and my life, and I wondered what kind of monster he was to do this to me.   
  
As I stared up at the large chandelier above us, I saw everything begin to grow dim. My grip on the count began to weaken, until at last I had no strength left.   
  
The last thing that I remember was being held limply in his arms, watching my blood run down his smiling lips and feeling life slip slowly away from me.


	13. Living Death

I did not know how many hours had passed since my mortal death as I awoke in my new chamber. I lay in the large bed, very much alone, and very weak. I felt too tired even to stand, and as I was trying to sit up the chamber door opened. Vladislaus entered and smiled when he saw that I was awake.

"Pleasant dreams, my love?"

I stared at him weakly, having managed to sit up at last. My throat felt painfully dry, and my neck throbbed. I brought my hand up to feel the wounds on my skin, remembering all that had happened.

"What did you do to me?" I whispered weakly. He came to stand beside the bed, stroking my cheek affectionately.

"I made you immortal. You will never know death or pain again."

Looking at him through tired eyes, I shook my head. "If so, then why does my entire body ache?" He sat down on the edge of the bed next to me.

"You are still weak from the transformation, which I believe is not yet complete. When it is done, I promise you, you will feel no more pain ever." He then gently laid me back down, and I watched as he bit his own wrist.

"But for now, you must have blood my dear. It will help to complete the transformation, and will make you feel much better." With this he put his bleeding wrist at my mouth, and drops of his blood fell on my lips.

I tried to turn my head away, but he held me still. I was far too weak to fight him, and all I could do was lay still as he forced his wrist to my lips. Opening my mouth a little, I felt his blood rush in. It was smooth and cool and to my surprise pleasant. I found myself holding on tightly to his wrist, taking in every drop that he would give me.

"I think that that will be enough, my Katrina," he said at last, pulling his arm away.

I licked my blood-stained lips, breathing hard as I felt his blood coursing through me. Vladislaus smiled down at me, and I watched as the wound on his wrist healed before my eyes.

"Now, I want you to rest. The next time that you awake, I believe that you will feel more alive than you ever have." With this he kissed my hand and left the room. However, I was asleep before he even closed the door.

I opened my eyes some time later, just after dark to be precise, to find myself shut in a stone box of some sort. Somehow I knew that the sun had just set, that a full moon would be rising within an hour, and that the box that I lay in was a coffin. I was disturbed by this, and quickly slid the heavy stone lid out of the way. Normally this should have been impossible, but I knew that I was no longer myself.

My senses were magnified by a thousand, and everything around me seemed new and strange. Everything that I saw, touched, heard, and smelt was amazingly different. It was very exciting, but also frightening.

Climbing out of the coffin, I backed away from it in horror shaking my head. What had I become? The count's voice came from the shadows behind me.

"I know that it is not to your liking just yet, but I am sure that with time you won't mind it."

I whirled around to face him, frightened at what he had done to me and at waking up in a coffin. Silent tears began to stream down my face as I continued to look at the count. He stepped towards me, a pained look on his face.

"No, no, do not cry. It is not so bad." With this I allowed him to embrace me, holding my head to his chest. "You have nothing to fear now." For several moments it was quiet, and then I asked him what I had been wondering in my mind.

"I am damned like you are, aren't I?"

"You are as I am now, yes," he replied after a brief silence.

"How could you….?" I whispered into his chest, my tears at last had stopped.

This time he did not have to think about his reply. "I loved you, Katrina. You meant everything to me, and I died for you. Now that I never have to face death again, I never want to lose you to it."

For some time we stood there, and with my eyes closed I tried to imagine that all this had been a dream. It was my dear husband who held me, but he was still alive and loving. I imagined his embrace as it once was: warm and protective. Now all that I felt from him was cold and controlling. Finally he spoke, ending my fantasy with his cold voice.

"Now, you must feed my darling. And since it is your first time, I have a special surprise for you."

I looked up at him, confused. "Feed?" Suddenly I realized that I was terribly hungry, but it was a sort of hunger that I had never felt before. He simply smiled, and taking my hand led me from the room. I realized what he had meant as soon as we reached the parlor.

On one of the settees in the room lay a young boy, no more than twelve. He had raven-dark hair and a perfect face. I realized that he was beautiful to me, and also near death.

Vladislaus grinned and crossed his arms, pleased with himself. "Well, what do you think?" I continued to stand as if frozen, staring at the boy. I barely noticed as Vladislaus moved to stand close behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"I know that he isn't much, but I thought that he would do nicely for your first feeding." He kissed my neck and then whispered coldly in my ear, "I hope that you will appreciate him, my dear. It was not entirely easy to bring him here."

He then took my hand and led me over to where the boy lay. I could hear his heart beating in my head, growing slower and slower each minute. It was maddening.

"Take him, and all that will end," the count whispered to me. Still I could do nothing but watch the boy. I could tell that my husband's patience was growing thin, and he pulled me closer to the boy.

"Take him now, or I will!" he hissed. I looked up at him, and was more saddened by what I saw than terrified. His eyes had grown large and an unusual color of blue, and in them was a violence and madness like I had never seen. I looked back down at the boy, and slowly shook my head.

"I cannot do this….I am not a murderer, I can't kill him."

Vladislaus spun me to face him, his eyes still terrifying. "He was dead the moment I saw him, Katrina!" he shouted. "Now do it, or starve."

I shook my head again slowly, tears running down my face. With a roaring, angry snarl he shoved me away, and was on the boy before I knew what was happening. I watched in absolute horror as he drained the child dry. It did not take him long, and soon he looked up at me. Blood ran down his lips and chin, and his eyes were inhuman.

Not thinking, I turned and ran from the room as quickly as I could. Oh God, what had I just seen? And what had I done in coming here….how could I have been so blind, never seeing what he had really become?

My tears blinded me as I somehow found my room and locked the door, praying that he would not come for me. But then I realized: I was no longer fit to pray to God. What I had become was not of God, but of the devil. I collapsed on my bed and buried my head in the pillows, sobbing and shaking.

I finally drifted into a troubled sleep, to be awoken several hours later by the raging storm outside. I felt more hungry than I ever had in my life; an unbearable hunger that seemed to rip through me.

Yet I would not give into it or to him. I would not drink blood to survive.

Finally I began to grow so weak that I could do nothing but lay on the bed. Somehow I could sense that morning was near, and the sun was soon to rise. There I lay, until only a few moments before sunrise Dracula tore into my chamber. I was too terrified of him to speak or move, but I allowed him to carry me out of the room.

We made our way to the hidden chamber where my coffin was kept, the count silent but furious. I did not protest as he lay me inside it, and strangely it felt safe to me.

"You are lucky to still be alive," he said to me, his voice icy.

"I wouldn't call it luck," I replied weakly, not turning away from his eyes.

He smirked, then brought his wrist up to his mouth and gashed it open. "Drink, or you will not survive through the day."

When I continued to stare at him, his anger increased. "NOW! Or I will leave you to the sun!" he barked.

Taking his hand I pulled his wrist to my mouth, and as before I drank everything that he would give me. I could not deny that it felt wonderful; better than the sweetest drink ever had. It was the only thing that made me feel warm and alive again, for since the transformation I could tell that my body was dead.

At last he pulled away, and forcing me to lay down he slid the heavy lid shut. I felt rather than heard him leave the room, and had I the energy to cry I would have. So many horrible things had happened in such a short period of time. All that I wanted was to be back home again, safe with my father. I wished that I could have some way to speak with him, to tell him what was happening.

My father would save me, just as he had when I was a little girl and got lost in the forest. But I realized that he wouldn't. I had left that world of my own free will, and wherever I was now I was there because I had chosen to be.

At last I fell into the deepest sleep of my life, a sort of living death that from then on would always come to me during the day. And for the rest of my existence, that death-like slumber would be the most peaceful time for me. Only then could I escape from what I had become, and from the terrible lust for blood that raged inside of me.


	14. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

How quickly time passes when one has no fear of death. Time itself does not really seem to exist; the only way to tell that it has passed is to look around you. People that you once knew grow old and die, and things that you once loved fade away. All of this I learned the hard way: by experiencing it myself.  
  
I watched the night sky of Budapest one summer evening, resting on a ledge high atop one of the ancient buildings of the city. It had been a little over a half a century since my immortal life had begun, and this night was the anniversary of my death.  
  
Every year on this date I would go out alone to reflect on my past. Dracula, of course, thought that it was no good to dwell in the past, but he had never stopped me. Often he would lecture about our survival, and that we could not live in the future if we could not forget the past.  
  
But the past for me was not easy to forget; I was haunted by it. Within ten years of my arrival at Castle Dracula I learned of my father's death, and soon to follow was news of Lord Valerious' death. Dracula could have cared less for this news, but I was saddened by it.  
  
Unlike him, I still had the ability to feel some emotions, such as sorrow and pain. Perhaps I could still feel love, but it was an emotion that I did not need nor use.  
  
I was also haunted by the memories of the many lives that I had taken. I had finally given in to the thirst for blood, and much to Dracula's happiness I had began to hunt with him. The nameless faces of my victims often played through my mind.  
  
Much later I had discovered a solution: to take a limited amount of blood from a few victims, instead of draining one dry. It was more difficult this way, but it made me feel like less of a murderer.  
  
Now, as I looked out over the city, I could feel the life within it. I preferred to be alone, and spent little time with Dracula except for when he insisted. I could tell that lately he had grown tired of me, and I had known for years about other women that he kept with him at times. Yet I no longer cared.  
  
I knew that he would be angry with me for not being at his side tonight. He was hosting a grand ball at his new summer palace, which he was eager to show off to the wealthy Hungarian nobility.  
  
I had to admit that it was a spectacle: everything decked in gold, marble floors everywhere, and more rooms than he could possibly ever need. He had given me one of the most magnificent, fit for a queen. But I had long since tired of his games to keep me with him.  
  
I still remembered the man that I had loved, who would never have substituted lavish gifts for his love. It was another sorrow that weighed on my mind, for no matter how much I hated it, deep down some part of me still loved him.  
  
It was this feeling that had kept me with him for so long.  
  
The ball had started over half an hour ago, and even though I was across the city from him, I could still feel Dracula's anger at my absence. I felt him summon me in my mind, insisting that I return to him at once. I knew that when I returned I would catch his fury, and that night I was in no mood for it.  
  
I stood on the stone ledge and looked out over the city one last time, then I jumped. I was several hundred feet above the ground, and I allowed myself to fall a ways before changing into my beast form.  
  
Aside from being able to fly, I hated this form greatly. Dracula had told me that the devil had given him the gift of flight, and that it was his gift to me. Flying was one of the few things that I enjoyed, but I hated my demon-like appearance.  
  
I flew up and over the city, enjoying the feeling of the warm night air blowing past me. I was also preparing myself for my meeting with Dracula. Spotting the palace, I swooped down and landed quietly on my balcony. I changed into my human form and smoothed the skirts of the flowing, white dress that I wore.  
  
I sensed that Dracula was waiting for me alone, and I knew where to find him. Entering his enormous chamber, I saw the doors to his balcony open, the warm breeze blowing the curtains.  
  
As I stepped closer I saw him standing against the stone railing, staring out at the city. I was standing just behind him when he finally spoke.  
  
"I have done everything that I can think of to make you love me." He then turned around to face me, a sad expression on his face as he leaned back against the railing.  
  
"But yet you still deny me this one thing….your love and trust."  
  
I stared back, my face cold and without expression. "Why should I give you that which you have denied me?"  
  
Dracula blinked at this, and then furrowed his brows. "I have given you everything that I can, Katrina. You know this."  
  
"No, you haven't," I said, stepping closer to him. "You have given me luxury: diamonds, fancy gowns, magnificent things. But never your love. Not since…." At this I trailed off, not knowing how he would take the rest of it.  
  
Dracula looked me up and down. "Go on."  
  
"Not since the day you died….the day you were damned," I finished. "I have received no love from you. And perhaps you cannot love, but you have not tried."  
  
There was a painfully long silence, in which all we did was stare at each other. Dracula watched me with a strange look in his eyes, then held out his hand to me. "Come here." I hesitated, but since I no longer feared him I took his hand. Pulling me to him, he looked down into my eyes.  
  
"If I told you that I loved you, would that make you happy? It would be a lie, but it is what you want to hear, is it not?"  
  
I stared up at him coldly, wishing that I could turn him to stone with my eyes. At last I answered him. "I pity you, do you know that? You who are cursed to forever walk the earth as the devil's son, never feeling any emotions. A hollow shell of the great man that you once were."  
  
For a moment I thought that I had gone too far, but then to my surprise he laughed. "My dear Katrina, your wit amazes me at times." I felt his hand at my lower back, and he pulled me close to him, my chest against his. "It's a pity that you have grown so cold towards me….perhaps our romance needs to be rekindled."  
  
He then kissed me, still holding me tightly against him. It was a long, lustful kiss, which I did not really return. He sensed this, and after a moment he pulled away and looked at my face. He still held me very close to him, our faces only inches away.  
  
I felt the air around us change, and I knew that he was becoming angry. "Do you even refuse to return my kisses?" I did not answer.  
  
"Well then, perhaps it is time that I found a new bride. One that pleases me more," he added coolly.  
  
I felt a pang of jealousy and hurt deep inside, but I ignored it and focused on my anger. "Why don't you? It will certainly make my existence easier, no longer having to tolerate your monstrous behavior."  
  
As soon as it left my mouth, I knew that I had made a big mistake. But I did not really fear Dracula; he would not kill me, even if he did try.  
  
Before I had a chance to react, he threw me from him with terrible strength. I went flying backwards through the open balcony door and into his room. I crashed into the large mirror above his bed, shards of glass flying across the room. I collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard. I felt some pain, mostly from where I had hit the wall, but there were also shards of glass stuck in me.  
  
The only thing that went through my mind at the time was that I had to escape, to leave him once and for all. Before I even moved he was on top of me, pinning me down. His eyes were what they became when he attacked his victims: large and a terrifying color of blue. His fangs were bared, his face dangerously close to mine.  
  
"That was a very stupid thing to say," he hissed. "I thought you knew better than to anger me, Katrina."  
  
As I stared into his eyes I realized something: I would never escape from him like this. There was no way that I could get him off of me by angering him, the easiest way would be to submit to him…for now. I started crying, tears running down my face freely. I had always been a good actress.  
  
Dracula's furious expression softened some at this, and I watched as his fangs disappeared. His eyes, however, remained the same.  
  
"You should not provoke me so," he said at last. "No, no, do not cry. And do not fear me." He then wiped away some of my tears, and leaned down to kiss me softly. I was surprised by his actions, and by how much like his old self he seemed for a moment. He then pulled away, and without a word released me. Walking towards the door, he turned to me.  
  
"You'll find a ball gown in your chamber that is for tonight. After you are ready, join me in the ballroom."  
  
He said this calmly but forcefully, and I nodded from the bed. After he closed the door I continued to lay still for a few moments, catching my breath and allowing my body to heal the cuts and bruises. After only a few minutes I made my way to my chamber, but not to get ready for the ball.  
  
I knew that I must do this quickly, or the consequences would be great. I hurried into the room, and finding a small case I began to throw all of my jewelry into it. They were all presents from Dracula that I had received over the years, and I took them not to wear but to sell. If I needed money, the jewelry would certainly help.  
  
There were magnificent jeweled necklaces and rings, and it would be impossible to say where they had come from or how much they had cost.  
  
I finished putting the jewelry into the case, then made my way to the large wardrobe which held my dresses. Opening the doors, I looked at all the magnificent gowns before me. They too were gifts from Dracula, some I had picked out on my own. I ran my hand across the fine fabrics for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling.  
  
Then I shut the doors of the wardrobe and left them to him; they weren't really mine anyway.  
  
Stepping out onto the balcony, I hopped onto the stone railing with ease, and turned to look back at the palace.  
  
"Goodbye, Vladislaus. May God forgive us both for what we have become."  
  
Leaping from the balcony, I changed forms effortlessly and took flight into the night sky. I knew that I did not have long before Dracula would come looking for me, and would instantly realize that I had left. I flew westward as fast as I could, and planned to reach the next city before morning. There I would hopefully find a safe place to pass the day, and continue northwest the night after.  
  
I had never seen the cities of Western Europe: London, Paris, Rome….there were so many that I wanted to see. And now that I was free, I would. My only fear was Dracula….I would have to be on my guard constantly, and it would not be easy to get away from him for good.  
  
I could feel that the battle for my freedom from him had just begun, and that in the end I may lose. But it was worth a try.  
  
Some part of me felt almost guilty for leaving him; he was after all still my husband. This feeling vanished as I realized that he _was_ still my husband, but he was not still Vladislaus. I did not look back as I left the city behind me, and left everything that I had ever known with it.

* * *

A/N: Thanks again to all of my very kind reviewers! Just guessing I would say that there are probably two chapters left, but it might get drug out longer than that. I'm about to start school as well (my senior year, YAY!) so chapters will be coming a little slower, please bear with me. I have enjoyed writing this so much that I hate to finish it, but all stories must end eventually. Thank you again for reading it, and please let me know how you like this chapter!


	15. Til Death Do Us Part

A/N: Well, this chapter came a bit more slowly than I had hoped, but here it is! Thanks for waiting around for it. I'm trying to figure out how I want to end this, and I hope that whatever it is it's good and you guys like it. By the way, for all you Van Helsing lovers, he shall return. It'll probably be a bit at the end though, just to let you know.

And for Kay-sama, an answer to your question: Dracula does feel a connection to Katrina, but it's sadly not really love anymore. Like Richard Roxburgh explained it, Dracula sort of got a raw deal; he lives forever but he doesn't feel anything anymore, not even love that he felt before. I did find it tempting to make him still be madly in love with her, but I decided that that would go against his character from the movie too much. I hope that this answered your question, and thanks for asking!

* * *

I watched the colors of the western sky just after the sun had set, enjoying the feeling of a different city. Rome really was beautiful at sunset, and I could only imagine what it must be like during the day. Night slowly crept over the many ancient buildings of the city, casting the old streets in shadow. The time was now perfect for me to explore the city, but I knew that I had to be on my guard.  
  
I knew that escaping from Dracula could never be this easy, and I had expected to be confronted by him before now. But as the sights and smells of Rome surrounded me I became less fearful, and began to explore its many streets.  
  
There were still people out and about, but not as many as I had expected. I peered into the windows of the many shops that lined the streets, wishing that I could visit them during the day. As I rounded the corner of the street, I noticed a towering building ahead of me at the street's end. I could easily tell what it was: a great cathedral, several centuries old at least.  
  
For a moment I simply stood there in fear and awe of it, not knowing whether or not I should go any closer. Then I made up my mind of what I must do, and made my way down the old street toward it.  
  
When I reached it I pushed open one of the great wooden doors and stepped over the threshold, a strange feeling taking me.  
  
Candles were lit everywhere, and statues of saints adorned its interior. The flickering light cast shadows on the stone walls, and on the high ceiling above was an enormous painting of angels in flight. It was an amazing sight, and for a moment I was reminded of the cathedral where Vladislaus and I were married half a century ago.  
  
I shut the door quietly and made my way down the isle, using my senses to tell me if there were any humans near. There were none, and after a moment I found myself standing at the altar before a statue of Jesus on the cross. I looked up at his face, and felt myself fall to my knees before him.  
  
I had done many terrible things, and my very existence was the work of the devil, but was I unfit to pray in a church?  
  
I decided to ask for forgiveness, even if I could receive none, and silently I began to pray. I asked for many things, but above all for forgiveness for what I was and for this nightmare to end. I no longer wanted to be what I was, and I prayed that God would release me from my curse.  
  
I have no memory of how long I prayed, it may have even been hours. My face was stained with tears as I looked up at the cross before me. The cathedral was still silent and empty, and the candles around me cast a golden light on the walls. Just as I had finished my prayer, my dark heart feeling lighter, I suddenly sensed what I had been dreading. He was here with me now, very close.  
  
I stood and turned around quickly to find him standing about ten feet away from me. He wore a smirk on his face, but I could tell that for some reason he was slightly amused.  
  
"Hello, my dear Katrina. I knew that you would try to hide from me, but I didn't think that you would be foolish enough to hide in a church."  
  
I stared back at him intently. "I was not hiding from you, Vladislaus. You are able to find me no matter where I am."  
  
Smiling, he nodded his head and took a step forward. "True. You are mine, my dear, and always shall be. I will find you no matter where you are." He began making a slow circle around me, as an animal does to its prey. Watching me closely, his smile gone, he continued.  
  
"However I must say that I am disappointed in you. First you disobey me and leave me to entertain my guests alone, then you leave me without a word."  
  
"Would you have preferred for me to have left you a note?" I replied quietly. He pretended to not have heard me, but I knew that he had.  
  
"And now I find you here of all places: in a church. _Praying_," he added as if disgusted by it.  
  
He continued to make a circle around me, and I turned my head to watch him. "Of course I was praying. What else does one do in a church?" I knew that I was beginning to push my luck by speaking this way to him, but for some reason I drew strength from my surroundings. Perhaps somewhere in the back of my mind I believed that he would not harm me here.  
  
Dracula made a disgusted sound and stopped moving. He looked me up and down in a dangerous manner.  
  
"You are greatly testing my patience, my love. You should be thankful that I have managed to control my anger at you for the moment. And do not for a second think that it is because God is protecting you here."  
  
With this he began to walk towards me, and I backed up the steps away from him. I felt myself bump into something, and looking up I realized that it was the large cross. I watched Dracula, who had stopped at the steps and looked from me up to the cross. He grinned as he looked back down at me.  
  
"Oh you are the very image of an angel, my dear," he said walking up the steps slowly. "But for all your beauty God allowed you to be born imperfect. _I, Katrina, made you perfect_," he added with a whisper, stopping close in front of me.  
  
He trailed his hand along the edge of my face, and I found it difficult not to get lost in his touch. He was so good at controlling others, and for so long he had controlled me in the same way. But I would no longer allow that.  
  
I reached up to take his hand, and gently but firmly I moved it away from my face. "I never asked to be perfect, Vladislaus."  
  
Something in his eyes changed, and his face grew cold and hard. "I should have known that you could not appreciate the gift that I gave you. I have found others that deserve it more than you."  
  
"And you have made them like us, haven't you? I've known for years that you have damned others like you did me."  
  
Dracula's eyes bore into me like ice, and for a moment I thought I saw something like pain deep within them. "They are what they are because of you! You preferred your books to my company," he answered, his voice rising. "I should have left you to die with your father, alone and uncared for, the widow of a murdered man!"  
  
"Then why didn't you!?!" I shouted at him.  
  
His eyes now an unholy blue, he grabbed me by the neck with one hand and tossed me backwards into several large candle stands, knocking them over. They hit the stone floor with a loud clang, burning candles and hot wax scattering everywhere. One of the stands fell over onto a table with offerings, which immediately went up in flames due to several vases that were filled with oils.  
  
I did not wait for another attack from Dracula, and as quickly as I could I pushed the candle stands off of me. Though I had been burned by the candles and hot wax, I ignored the pain, and after a few seconds my skin had completely healed.  
  
Dracula came towards me in one quick movement, still infuriated. I dodged him and went behind one of the many large, stone pillars in the cathedral. The fire had already grown quite large, consuming whatever was in its way. With my back against the pillar, I heard a loud crash, and turned my head to see the large, burning cross fall to the ground.  
  
I realized too late that Dracula was on me, pinning me to the pillar. His grip on my throat was tight and painful, and I struggled against him.  
  
"Haven't you realized by now Katrina that you are mine forever? You became mine the day that we married, with _God_ as our witness," he spat.  
  
I had stopped struggling and stared at his face, tears forming in my eyes from the pain and from my sadness. "Haven't you realized that forcing me to stay with you is not the answer?" I whispered with difficulty.  
  
The count looked into my eyes and his expression softened some, and I knew that he was reading my thoughts. After a few seconds he released me, and for the first time in many years his face showed true pain and sadness. Perhaps he was not so hollow after all; he could feel sorrow and pain, and certainly fury.  
  
"If this is what you truly want, to be free of me, then I grant your wish." He stepped back and away from me, his expression and movements cold. However I could not believe that he would let me go this easily; he must have another plan.  
  
"Have I not always given you anything and everything that you desired?" He asked, reading the doubt in my mind. "And now I give you your freedom….do what you want with it."  
  
A large part of the church was now on fire, and as he spoke I heard warning bells in the distance. I continued to stare at him, ignoring everything else around us. I could sense that there were humans nearby, just outside the cathedral doors. But I made no movement.  
  
Dracula looked at me with an icy intensity. "You have what you want, now go." For some reason I felt unable to move, or perhaps I wished that the fire would consume us both and end the nightmare of our lives.  
  
"GO!!" he bellowed, his fangs bared.  
  
At that moment two things happened: a flaming wooden statue fell between the count and I, and the doors of the church were thrown open as a large group of men entered the burning cathedral.  
  
I glanced at the door and then back at the count, and through the flames I could see that he was no longer there. Quickly I dodged the flames and found a side door leading out of the church. After I was out I sat atop a nearby building, watching the humans put out the fires. Strangely I felt a bit guilty, and I knew that Dracula would have laughed at my weakness. But I was no longer controlled by him.  
  
Sensing that the sun was soon to rise, I took flight to find a safe place to spend the day. I was no longer fearful of being found. I knew that Dracula had been truthful, and that he would no longer bother me. And with that knowledge, for the first time in years, I felt safe and free. 


	16. Dracula's Invitation

**A/N:** Thanks to my reviewers again. Sorry that these chapters are coming so slow, I'm writing and posting the chapters whenever I can. Thanks to those of you who are still reading this story as well! I hope that you are still enjoying it. I didn't intend for the ending to take this long to get to, but it has. So hang on a little bit longer, the ending is coming. :-)

* * *

I had never been completely free to make my own decisions, and now that I was I saw the world differently. Everything was new and amazing for me, and I found that over the years the shadows of my past slowly went away. Perhaps it was because I was no longer under Dracula's control.  
  
After that night in Rome, it would be several centuries before I would speak with him again. But I always knew that he was with me at times, watching me from the shadows.  
  
A presence as dark as his is not easily hidden, and in each city that I went to I could feel him there. This continued for years as well, and at times I would catch a glimpse of him. I knew that he would haunt me for many years, and so he did.  
  
I went from city to city trying to escape from his presence, without any luck. After Rome I had gone to Madrid, hoping that he would not expect me to go to Spain. I should have known that he still had some access to my mind, or perhaps he knew me that well. Either way he found me there, after only a few nights in the city. I hated that I had to leave it so quickly; it was a spectacle of Spanish culture like I had never seen before.  
  
I fled to many other countries after this: Germany, Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, even far into Russia. But he never ceased to appear, no matter where I went. After years of playing this game with him I fled to England, knowing that he would still find me there. But it had to end somewhere, and I could not allow him to chase me throughout eternity.  
  
I made my way into the old city of London early one night, and finding one jewelry store that was still open I rid myself of some of the jewels that I carried with me. I had sold them slowly, using the money to pay for suitable townhouses in the cities that I visited. Houses which I had never stayed in for more than a few days.  
  
After a few more days I was living comfortably in a large house in the city, enjoying the atmosphere of downtown London. However I did not allow myself to get too comfortable, expecting to find the count watching me at any moment. But for some reason, that moment never came.  
  
Weeks and then months passed by, and I neither sensed nor saw him anywhere in the city. I began to relax and enjoy myself, and after several years London was like home to me. I loved its shops and markets, and the old buildings that somehow reminded me of my old home.  
  
I used a great deal of the money that I had with me to invest and buy and sell property, and after a few decades I had enough money to do anything that I wanted. I bought a private country estate just outside of London, still keeping my old townhouse in the city. It was a beautiful manor, with surrounding meadows and forests. I felt more content and at peace with the world than I ever had.  
  
It was at this time, two hundred and fifty years after my immortal life had began, that Dracula came to me.  
  
It was a cool English evening, the chilly night air just beginning to surround the manor. The sun had only set an hour ago, and I peered out one of the large windows to watch the sky slowly darken into night. After a few moments I sat down at the large, ornate piano that was in the room and began to play a slow, sad tune that was one of my favorites.  
  
After several minutes I finished the song, to hear clapping behind me. I knew who it was before I even turned around.  
  
Behind me, an amused expression on his face, sat Dracula. I turned slowly to look at him, knowing that my happy life here could be over. He looked the same as he had when I last saw him: dressed neatly in black, his dark hair pulled back smoothly. He was extremely handsome sitting there, an image of aristocracy and power.  
  
"You are even more beautiful than I remember, Katrina," he said with a smile. He looked around at the lavishly decorated room. "And I see that you've done very well for yourself. I must say that I am surprised."  
  
I continued to watch him as one watches a wolf. "Surprised?" I asked.  
  
His eyes returned to me, still with an amused look in them. "Yes. I have to admit that you have achieved far more than I ever thought possible. Of course, I should have known that you would do well."  
  
"I do have you to thank for a great deal of it, I'm afraid," I said smiling.  
  
"Oh really?" he asked with a grin.  
  
"Yes. If it had not been for your many jeweled gifts I would not be so successful."  
  
Dracula threw his head back and laughed. "So that is what you did with all of those jewels I gave you? I knew that you had a good reason for taking them."  
  
I continued smiling, but asked him the question that I had been wondering. "And I'm sure that you have a reason for being here as well."  
  
He looked at me again, his smile fading only slightly. "Do I have to have a reason for coming to visit my wife?" he asked innocently.  
  
"You know what I mean, Vladislaus," I answered. "I thought that we had an agreement." He stood and began to pace the room, pretending to admire the ancient paintings on the walls. "I recall no agreement, my dear. You wanted to leave, and so I let you. And now I have returned."  
  
I stared at him with an icy intensity. "It has been two centuries since you let me go. Why do you choose to bother me now?" At this he turned back around to face me. "I miss your wonderful company, if you must know." I knew now that he was only playing with me, but I was growing tired of it.  
  
"I'm sure that you do. But I can't imagine why, with all of the other brides you have now."  
  
Dracula ignored this comment, and casually walked over to where I sat. I could tell that he was serious now. "If you must know the truth, I came to give you a personal invitation." I looked up at him. "An invitation? To what?" Taking my hand, he pulled me to my feet. There was not a great distance between us, but to my surprise he did not pull me to him in the seductive manner that he always had.  
  
"An invitation to my All Hallow's Eve ball, to take place one week from now. I thought that since you have not attended a ball in two hundred years you might enjoy it." I looked down at my hand, which he still held in his. "I am truly grateful for your invitation, my lord. But I am afraid that I will not be able to attend, due to matters of business."  
  
The count gave me a small smile. "I knew you would say something like that. But it is your decision, decide what you will. But I would greatly enjoy your company."  
  
He must have read my thoughts, for then he added, "And don't worry, if you come you are free to leave at any time. I do not wish to repeat history." With this he gave me a small smile and stared at my face for a moment. Looking up into his I suddenly felt the desire to kiss him, and without thinking I did so. He returned the kiss, but without the forceful lust that I had come to expect from him. For a moment it felt like I was being held by the man I had once loved.  
  
The count looked at me one last time before turning to leave. "Think about what I have said. This is not any kind of trap, Katrina, I only wish for your company. I have missed it these last two hundred years." He then kissed my hand and left the room, as quickly and quietly as he had entered.  
  
For a long time I sat thinking about what had just happened, and how odd it had been. Dracula had been different; far less forceful and more gentle than he was two centuries ago. I was confused by this, but I knew that I should not be. He was very cunning, and he knew how to make me do what he wished. I watched the rain fall outside, listening to it pound at the windows. For hours I thought about his visit, and at last I made my decision.  
  
For some insane reason I believed his word. He had been a great man once, who would never have told a lie. Although I knew that most of this man was gone, I still believed that some of his honesty remained.  
  
With that hope I told my servants to begin preparing for my journey east to Budapest. No doubt that his masquerade would be one of incredible magnificence; everything that he did was. Therefore I packed one of my fanciest gowns, which I had bought for such an occasion but had never used. It also contained hidden pockets for small weapons, in case any of Dracula's undead guests got too close.  
  
I was almost excited to be attending such an event, for although I was at the height of English wealth and power I attended few social events. As I made my way to my private chambers to rest for the day, I once again thought of the count. I had no intention of remaining with him in Hungary or Transylvania for that matter, although I would like to have seen my homeland just once again.  
  
I wondered if this was all just another one of his games, and I swore that he would pay for it this time if it was. But no matter how much I hated him, deep down another feeling was still there. And it was then that I realized what he had told me years ago: that we were bound to each other, our lives and our fates. We existed together, he and I, and I could never escape from that.  
  
So I decided to attend and enjoy the spectacle, for that was surely what it would be. Of course I discovered far later on that it was largely the count's manipulation of my mind that influenced my decision. But perhaps his offer_ had_ been innocent; either way I was soon to find out. 


	17. The All Hallow's Eve Masquerade Ball

_Year 1712, Budapest, Hungary_  
  
I arrived in Budapest one week after the count's visit, and just in time for the masquerade. It was a lively time of year in the Hungarian city, and late that afternoon people still crowded the streets celebrating All Hallow's Eve. By sunset, however, many of them had begun to lock their doors for the night. They knew what All Hallow's Eve truly meant: the one day of the year that the dead could rise up and walk the earth. I laughed to myself. Little did they know that the dead walked the earth whenever they wished, and did not wait for one night a year.  
  
I had assumed that Dracula knew that I was coming, and I had never replied to his invitation. I had been right: as soon as my carriage entered the city there was a rider waiting to escort me to the palace.  
  
We made our way through the ancient city, and at last I looked out through the carriage window at the enormous palace. The sun was just setting, and as I stepped out I noticed that a few guests were already arriving. The ball would begin around midnight, and I was sure that it would be full of the undead.  
  
A well dressed servant led me through the large, ornate palace doors and into the enormous foyer, then up a winding staircase to a door. Unlocking it, he led me inside, never speaking a word. Apparently this was to be my chamber while I was a guest of Dracula's. But I was sure that no guest would be staying in a chamber such as this.  
  
Gold was everywhere: the ceiling, the walls, even the floor seemed to be dusted in gold. It covered the furniture as well, and the large canopy bed that was draped in golden material.  
  
I had expected Dracula to come to me as soon as I arrived, but he did not. After I had changed into my ball gown and made myself ready for the ball, I relaxed in the luxury that surrounded me. To my joy I discovered that there was a harpsichord at one end of the room, and I entertained myself by playing it for a while.  
  
Nearing midnight I peered out a window to see many carriages below on the street, and guests still entering the palace. I decided to make my way down to the ballroom, and when I turned I found Dracula standing a few feet in front of me. As usual he was dressed all in black, but tonight he wore a magnificent cape that fastened at the neck, with a high collar. He smiled, looking me up and down with a pleased look.  
  
"I'm very glad to see that you accepted my invitation, my love. And as always, your beauty leaves me speechless." With this he took my hand and kissed it softly, his eyes still on me. "I am truly grateful for your presence here, Katrina. Having you by my side tonight means a great deal to me."  
  
"I hope that it does. The journey from London was less than comfortable," I said with a slight smile.  
  
Dracula laughed, and I was somewhat relieved that he seemed to be in a good mood. "Well I am sorry for your inconvenience, my dear. I suppose that I will just have to make it up to you," he said with a grin. "I think so," I said smiling back. He then held out his hand to me. "I believe that it is about time for the masquerade to begin. And we wouldn't want to keep my guests waiting, now would we?"  
  
"Of course not," I answered, caught in his eyes. They were deeper than I remembered, and seemed to pull me in. I took his hand, and together we made our way out of the room and down the sweeping staircase to the ballroom.  
  
The ballroom was magnificently decorated as it had been two hundred years ago when I last saw it, and everywhere there were guests in extravagant costumes. On one side of the hall an orchestra played strange, enchanting music. On the other side there were several long tables filled with magnificent food of every kind, and for the first time in years I wished that I was able to enjoy the taste of food.  
  
But blood satisfied all the hunger that I had now, and soon I found myself searching the crowd for a human who would be an easy meal. There were many mortals in the crowd -- no doubt the very richest of Hungarian society -- but the number of undead was far greater.  
  
The count stopped once we were in the ballroom, and on cue the orchestra stopped playing. Everyone turned to face us, and I felt myself grow a bit uneasy with so many eyes upon me. Dracula smiled at them all and spoke.  
  
"Friends, noble guests. Allow me to welcome you to my annual All Hallow's Eve masquerade. I am honored that you all have come, and I am sure that you will enjoy yourselves greatly. The night is still young, and may the masquerade begin!"  
  
With this the orchestra begin to play an eerie tune, and guests in wonderful costumes began a dance unlike any I had ever seen. It was an unusual dance, but very beautiful. The movements were enchanting, and I watched the dancers with awe. "Would you like to join them?" Dracula whispered into my ear.  
  
"I do not know this dance," I answered, still hypnotized by the movements and the music. I felt Dracula behind me, trailing his fingers down my arm and taking my hand in his.  
  
"Just listen to the music, let it be your guide," he whispered, leading me to join the dance. We joined in the movements, following the music as he had told me to. I moved with him as if we had danced this a thousand times, each movement perfect with the music and with the dancers around us.  
  
It seemed like an eternity that we danced, the count pulling me close to him and dipping me over low. It was a wonderful sensation, and dancing with him was different than it had been when we were mortal. Several times during the dance I found the count's lips on mine, but I never fought him. It felt wonderful to be held by him, and I felt that I needed him and his kisses.  
  
At last the dance ended, and as Dracula led me from the dance floor I noticed three women watching me closely from the crowd. They were huddled close together, as if in discussion with each other. One had dark blonde hair, one flaming red, and another dark brown. They were all stunningly beautiful, except that there was a dangerous and vicious look to them. They were definitely not human, and as they watched me with obvious fury I noticed a change in their eyes and teeth. So, Dracula had lady admirers? Not surprising, but these three women seemed to be deathly protective of him.  
  
I had been too busy watching the three demons to notice where Dracula was leading me. He took me through a hidden doorway in one of the walls, which shut quietly behind us. We went through a barely lit passageway until we finally reached another door, which opened into another lavishly decorated room. Dracula led me inside before turning again to face me. I began to get lost in his eyes again, which of course was his intention. I blinked and looked away, angry at myself for being so vulnerable to his charms.  
  
He only stepped closer and whispered to me. "Please, Katrina, look at me." When I continued to look away he gently lifted my chin so that my eyes met his. I felt myself falling into him again, and I realized that I wanted his touch more than ever. His seductive kisses came and I gave into them, needing everything that he gave me.  
  
For the rest of that evening all I can recall is falling asleep in the arms of Dracula, foolishly content and satisfied.  
  
I awoke several hours later, the dark night still clinging to Budapest. I sat up in the large bed, alone and in a room that I did not remember seeing before. I wrapped the covers around myself and tried to remember what had happened. I pieced together enough to infuriate me, and tearing the silk sheets from the bed I frantically searched for my clothes. After a few moments I found them, my ball gown folded neatly over a chair.  
  
I dressed quickly, the whole time scolding myself in my mind for having been so stupid. I wanted to make Dracula pay for his trickery, but I knew that it was I who was stupid enough to fall for it. I found the door and made my way back down the hidden tunnel, then through another door and into the ballroom. To my surprise the ball had not ended, and the orchestra continued to play as masked guests danced. The room was still crowded as I made my way through the people, searching for him.  
  
After a few moments I spotted him on the dance floor, and I felt my face flush with fury. He was dancing with the redhead that I had seen earlier, twirling and dipping her as he had me. I did feel jealousy, but also fury at having been used and thrown aside by him. I watched for several more minutes as they danced, both of them enjoying themselves, the woman looking extremely pleased with herself.  
  
Dracula noticed me in the crowd, and the look on my face must have been enough. He stopped dancing, said something to the redhead, and quickly came my way. I turned and left the ballroom, finding an empty room down the hall and closing the door behind me. I wanted this to be a private discussion.  
  
After a few moments I heard him quietly enter the room, closing the door behind him. Immediately I spun to face him, my mind wild with fury.  
  
"I should kill you for this!" I hissed at him. He simply smiled. "Please do try. It would be most entertaining."  
  
With a sound that was more animal-like than human I lunged at him, only to be stopped easily by him. "Now, now, my love. Why are you so angry with me?" he purred. He held my wrists in his hands, and I stopped struggling to answer him.  
  
"You know damn well why I am angry! First you lure me here and seduce me with your mind games, then you leave me to be with one of your whores," I said furiously. Dracula looked at me calmly, with no sign of anger or mockery. "She is one of my brides, Katrina."  
  
I blinked, anger still filling me, but now mingled with a bit of something else….jealousy, perhaps? "Brides?" I asked coldly. "And how many do you have?"

"Three," he answered, as if telling how many horses he owned. I tore away from his grasp and walked away from him, stopping in front of a window. I looked out at the city and the few lights that still burned. I heard Dracula move behind me, but he did not come toward me.  
  
"What did you think, that I would remain alone forever? Or until you perhaps decided to return to me?" he asked. I closed my eyes tight, a few tears running down my face. He continued to speak from somewhere behind me. "I did not want to wait forever for you to return to me, alone in my castle to watch the years pass by."  
  
I turned around to find him watching me from across the room. "And if you have your brides then why did you come searching for me? Why did you not just leave me to myself, to exist in peace?" Dracula stepped towards me slowly. "Because I need you Katrina, that I have realized over the years. I could have a hundred brides, but none of them would be like you are to me."  
  
I stared at him coldly. "And why wouldn't they be?"  
  
The count stopped in front of me, and I saw the pained look on his face. "Because you are the only one I ever loved, Katrina. I loved you as a mortal man. And though I can no longer feel love nor joy, I still need you with me."  
  
I was stunned by this, and to my annoyance I felt my anger dying away. My life might have taken a very different turn then, had Dracula's three brides not joined us. They swept into the room silently and crowded around him, all of them clinging to him possessively and giving me hate-filled stares. I glared back at them, a new rage filling me, and felt myself return their hatred.  
  
I hated how they purred to him and ran their hands over his shoulders, and their very movements disgusted me. I wondered why Dracula had chosen such mindless creatures to spend eternity with, but I realized that it was for this very reason that he chose them. And of course the fact that they were all three gorgeous.  
  
"Master…." the blonde one purred, holding on to Dracula's right arm possessively. "Yes, Marishka?" he answered, but his eyes were still on me. The one named Marishka looked from him to me with a look of contempt, and I had the feeling that if Dracula had not been there she would have lunged at me. "Who is she, master?" "And what is _she_ doing here?" the redhead added with a sneer.  
  
There was a pause, and then Dracula spoke. "Her name is Katrina. She is an old….friend," he added.  
  
"_Friend_?? I am just a friend, am I?" I asked, furious once again. "Then tell me what this is, Vladislaus." I held up my left hand, on which I still wore my wedding ring. The count looked at my hand, and for a second I saw a change in his face. But in an instant it was gone, and he looked back into my eyes. "I am amazed that you still have it. I thought that it would have been the first gift from me that you sold."  
  
"Master," the brunette said, stepping forward. "You were married to this.…woman?" she asked, looking me up and down. It came to me that her name was Verona, and that she was the oldest of the brides.  
  
"Yes, I was. And still am," he added, looking at me. The redhead, who was clinging to Dracula, rubbed her hand across his chest, looking up at him admiringly. "But you do not need something such as her, Master….we will fulfill all of your needs." The other two brides purred in agreement, but I could tell that Dracula had become irritated. "Why don't you three go and find yourselves a nice meal? You all look famished."  
  
The brides were not pleased by being told to leave, and the redhead seemed determined not to leave her master alone with me. "Master, may I not stay with you? I do so long for your company," she said with a seductive grin. Dracula, however, was not affected in the least by her charms. "I said go, Aleera," he snapped at her.  
  
With a hurt and angry look, she stared at him and then at me. "And why does she get to stay? She does not belong here, we do --" "SILENCE!" Dracula roared, his eyes once again an unholy blue. The brides all cowered in fear, but I simply stood watching the count, enraged by what the one named Aleera said.  
  
There was a moment's pause in which the brides whimpered together, and my anger rose. I would take no more of this. "You're right, Aleera," I said, looking at her with as much hatred as I could stand. "And you have your wish. After tonight, you will see me no more." I walked by Dracula towards the door, but was stopped by him.  
  
"Don't do this again, Katrina," he said, holding onto me. I pulled my arm from his grasp. "No, Vladislaus. I was a fool to even come here to you again. I should have known that things could never change, not even in two hundred years." With this I turned and walked away, and as I reached the door I heard him call my name. I do not know what made me turn to look at him, but I did.  
  
"Remember what I have told you. We exist together, you and I. And nothing in the world nor in the vast expanse of eternity can change that."  
  
I looked at him one last time but said nothing, then turned and made my way out of the palace. I left the city of Budapest that night, wishing to be away from there as quickly as I could. My mind was full of many confusing thoughts, but I never regretted my decision not to remain with him.  
  
When I finally reached London I found that the happiness I had gotten from the city was no longer there. It had changed to me, and I knew that the time had come for me to move again. I did not think that Dracula would come for me again, this time I had a feeling that it was over for good. I still decided to keep my manor, which had brought me happiness for a while, but I bought a townhouse in Paris. I had never lived in Paris, and I decided to make my new home there.  
  
I would remain there for almost another two hundred years, and it was there that once again fate that would step into my cursed and unnatural life. It would be in Paris that, after four hundred years, my path would cross with Van Helsing's once again.

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**A/N**: Well, I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I made it a little bit longer for you guys since it took me so long to get it up. I'm not exactly sure yet how it will end, but I hope I can make it good. Thanks for all the reviews, and keep them coming! As busy as I've been lately, reviews give me motivation to sit down and keep writing. ;-) 


	18. A Land of Demons and Shadows

Hello Everyone!! So terribly sorry that it took me forever to get another chapter up! I admit that I got busy and very lazy. But I decided to keep the story going because of my wonderful reviewers who begged for more. Thank you guys so much! I'm really flattered that you like it this much. I'm really still not sure how this will end, but I do want it to fit with the movie, so Katrina probably won't have any role in the events that happen between Dracula and Van Helsing. But perhaps we'll see some of it from her view. Again, thanks for the reviews, and my apologies for being so lazy. :-)

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_Year 1887, Paris, France_

The years passed by in the old city of Paris as they always had, bringing with them change from an old world to a new one. I watched as science slowly advanced, as did technology, and somehow I managed to keep up with the changing times. I still lived comfortably in my Parisian townhouse without any sign of the being that had haunted my past for so long.

The city of Paris was like no other, and I greatly enjoyed exploring it at night when I could. This night in particular I felt a need to escape from my surroundings. Although I did not need it, out of habit I wrapped a cloak about me and left the townhouse, my destination already in my mind. Centuries before I had made a decision: even though I was now a creature that the devil had made, I was once a creation of God. Therefore I would continue to pray to Him, though perhaps my soul was damned forever. On this night I made my way to a place that I visited often to pray: the cathedral of Notre Dame.

Something about it always comforted me, and lately it had become the only thing that I had in my hollow existence. Once I had finally reached the cathedral's great doors, I went inside and quietly made my way up the aisle to sit on one of the very front pews. There I began to pray, not knowing how long I had been there. I asked the same thing that I always ask in my prayers: to be forgiven for what I am and to be saved from it.

At last I finished my prayer and looked up at the large cross in front of me. I do not know how long I sat looking at it, but my silent thoughts were suddenly shattered by the sound of one of the large cathedral doors being thrown open roughly. I turned to see who was out at so late an hour, and why they were in such a hurry. My heart froze as I did so. There, coming down the aisle towards me in a rush, was Gabriel Van Helsing. But how could it be? After all, Gabriel had lived when I was a mortal....four hundred years ago. As he came nearer I realized that I had not been mistaken. At last he caught sight of me as he neared where I sat, and for a moment we simply watched each other. Then I saw a bit of confusion cross his features, mingled with something else I could not place.

Surely he would remember me, even after all this time? How could he not? Yet to my surprise he nodded his head with a polite, "Good evening, madam," and continued past me in the direction of the stairs. It was clear that he had important business to attend to, but I had to know who he was.

"Gabriel Van Helsing?" I asked, my voice sounding a bit desperate. The man stopped quickly and turned to look at me, his face full of confusion. "Yes?" I stood slowly, watching him and wondering if this was all a dream. "You are Gabriel Van Helsing?" He looked at me with a bit of suspicion, but still in a curious manner.

"Yes, I am Gabriel Van Helsing. Forgive me, but have we met? You somehow seem familiar to me."

I smiled slightly, not sure if I should be glad that this was Van Helsing or saddened because he did not recognize me. "Do you not remember me?" I took a few steps toward him. "I suppose it has been a very long time. But after all we went through, I am surprised that my name does not come to mind." He continued to watch me with a puzzled expression. "You've known me? For how long?"

I wasn't sure if he was prepared to hear what I was about to tell him, because he obviously did not remember much of his past. However, there was no other way that I could tell him. "For centuries," I replied. "My name is Katrina Vorkovus."

At that moment there came a loud crash from somewhere above us, perhaps from the bell tower. Van Helsing looked up to the ceiling and then back at me. "Forgive me, Miss Vorkovus, but I have urgent business to attend to. However, I would like to speak with you more when it is completed." I nodded, and watched as Van Helsing ran for the stairs, glancing at me once again before he disappeared.

Wondering what his 'urgent business' might have been, I quietly followed him to the bell tower and kept myself hidden in the shadows. There, to my amazement, I saw him battle a creature that I had heard existed, but never really believed. I arrived just as he and the giant madman made their way to the roof of the cathedral, and I watched this spectacle as well. When Van Helsing had at last succeeded in killing the creature, he made his way back down through the cathedral. Although he looked for me there, I chose to follow him silently, and to my surprise he prepared to leave the city that night.

I was very interested in him now, and I became determined to find out what he was doing here and why he was still alive. No one, except for my kind, could have lived the four hundred years that were between our last meeting and this night. Something strange was going on, and I followed Van Helsing to find out what it was.

Three days later we arrived in Rome, Van Helsing having quickly traveled by horse through the country. I followed him from the sky, easily keeping up with him. I watched as he made his way to the Vatican, and keeping to the shadows in silence I heard very interesting information. To my great surprise, I learned that Van Helsing was in the service of the Holy Order, which still existed. I had never given thought to what became of the Order. But clearly it still existed, and waged war against evil as it always had. Van Helsing was one of the best tools that they had. He also did not remember anything of his past, which was puzzling to me.

I listened carefully from my place in the shadows as he was given his next assignment, one that both gladdened and terrified me. He was to go into the Far East, to Transylvania, and destroy the evil that plagued the people there. He was to destroy Dracula.

I did not know what to think of this; Dracula was a pure evil that needed to be dealt with, but could Van Helsing do it? And though I still held pure hatred for him within me, deep down my love for Dracula had never died. I realized now that this love was for the man he had once been—a man that I still could imagine in my mind perfectly. His warm smile, strong embrace that would always protect me, and loving kisses still existed in my dreams.

But that man no longer existed. I had lost him long ago.

I knew that I could not interfere in the final battle between Dracula and Van Helsing. I would watch it unfold as I had centuries ago, only this time I knew what I wished the outcome to be. And so I followed Van Helsing back to a place that I wanted never to return to, a land of demons and shadows, hell on earth. In this place the devil walked freely, as did his children. This land was Transylvania, a place that was about to turn into a battle ground between Heaven and Hell.

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Well, there it is, another chapter to the story. Hope it wasn't too boring, and I hope you guys stick around for more. Promise I won't take so long to update it this time ;-).


	19. Evil to Destroy Evil

The day after Van Helsing arrived in Rome and received his orders, he left for the land of Transylvania. This time, however, he did not travel alone. With him was a friar named Carl, a small man who did not seem eager about the journey ahead of them. Once again, I followed Van Helsing silently, no more than a shadow to him. I did not know what I would do when we reached Transylvania; I hadn't really had time to think about it. 

I knew that I could not interfere with the battle that would take place. It was destined to happen, as the battle between them so many years ago had been. I had also decided that I would not try to speak with Van Helsing again—his past was unknown to him for a reason, and he needed to keep his thoughts on the task ahead of him. A task that was nearly impossible.

Van Helsing and the friar arrived in Transylvania by way of the Adriatic Sea, and at once made their way towards the village of Vaseria. I remembered this place from centuries ago…and I also remembered the large manor that loomed over it.

I saw Valerious Manor that night for the first time in four hundred years, and it had changed little. Like the village it looked older, more aged and weather-worn. Looking up at it in the darkness, I remembered the first time that I had come there—as a young bride. Van Helsing was inside the castle somewhere with the gypsy princess Anna Valerious, whom he had been sent to protect.

I watched them through the large windows for some time, and then I made my way back through the village and into the nearby forest. I had heard tales of strange things happening in an abandoned castle not far from Vaseria, and I knew that these things had to involve Dracula.

I made my way through the silent and beautiful Transylvanian forest, a nearly full moon lighting my path. It was not long before I reached the outer wall of an old castle, where large wooden doors stood open as if daring any creature to enter. The great doors that led to the castle courtyard were also thrown open, and looked as if they had been rammed at one time.

Stepping inside the castle doors quietly, I noticed immediately that the place was a complete mess. There was debris everywhere as if something had exploded, and from the ceiling and walls hung strange cocoons. What looked to be electrical wire ran to them, and was also found everywhere throughout the castle as I made my way from room to room. A few times I saw what had to be servants of Dracula, for no one else could tolerate such foul creatures. They were small and dressed strangely, hurrying about carrying things towards one of the castle towers.

Following behind them, I entered a large tower that had been entirely filled with enormous machines, wires, and tanks. I easily avoided the creatures and made my way around the tower to get a better look at what was happening. Suddenly I heard yelling from below, and looking down I saw Dracula standing on the ground, watching as a struggling man was strapped to an iron pod. I recognized this man to be Prince Velkan Valerious. What could Dracula possibly want with him, other than just to kill him? But it was clear that something else was going on here...Dracula had other plans for the prince.

Dropping silently to the tower floor, I watched from behind the machinery as Velkan was raised up to the top of the tower which was open to the stormy night sky. Suddenly I heard Dracula's thundering voice yell, "LET US BEGIN!!"

All around me the generators and dynamos hummed to life with a terrifying power. The storm began to rage even harder now, lightning striking the conductors far above and coursing through Velkan's body. It had to have been incredibly painful. I began to wonder even more what all of this was for—the machinery that must have taken great time and effort to build, not to mention money. Dracula was up to something, and I had to find out what.

Stepping out from where I had been watching, I walked around the lab unnoticed. The servants of Dracula were too busy in their tasks to even see me, however their master had disappeared. Just as I thought this I heard an amused and arrogant voice from behind me.

"I must say that I am pleasantly surprised to see you again, my dear. Especially here of all places, on this glorious night."

I turned to face him with a bit of dread, but also with curiosity. "And I am quite surprised to see you here. I never knew that science was your area of expertise, Vladislaus," I said with a hint of sarcasm. He gave me one of his cold smiles that I had grown so used to years ago.

"I now find science very interesting, my dear Katrina. Especially when it serves me, as it is doing now." He looked up and around at all of the machines, which continued to pump alarming amounts of electricity through the various wires around us. His gaze returned to me, and I could see something strange in his cold, dead eyes.

"I had hoped that some day you would return to me," he said with a quiet gentleness that I had not expected. "But I know that can never be now. I am sure that you have other reasons for being here. Such as Van Helsing."

I was surprised that he already knew that Van Helsing was here, but of course his servants had probably informed him the minute we arrived. I stared back at him calmly, showing no emotion even though I felt something deep inside.

"I followed Van Helsing to Transylvania. He has no idea that I am even here." Dracula nodded, hatred on his face. "Yes, I'm sure that he would not want you here...Your safety was always of great concern to him."

This last sentence he said with great hatred and anger, and I hoped that Van Helsing was prepared for the challenge that lay ahead of him. Clearly four hundred years had done nothing to dull the hatred Dracula had for him.

"He remembers nothing, Vladislaus. Not even me."

Dracula made a slow circle around me, his eyes still on me. "If he is not the reason that you came here then what is? You haven't returned to your old home in centuries...so why now, Katrina?"

I didn't answer him for a moment, not quite sure myself why I had returned. Again he laughed.

"Still can't decide which side to take, my dear? That is why you returned, is it not? To watch the battle between us that you missed four hundred years ago."

"There never should have been a battle, Vladislaus!" I shouted at him over the roar of the machines.

Suddenly the entire castle was filled with thousands of shrieks, coming from somewhere nearby. I could see a change on Dracula's face, and if I did not know better, I would have said that it was something similar to happiness. He looked away for a moment and then back at me.

"Excuse me, my dear. I must go and greet my children as they awaken for the first time. We will continue our little chat later, perhaps."

With this he left me standing alone in the tower, the gigantic machinery around me still pumping. For a moment I stood there stunned, the noise of what Dracula had called his children still sounding throughout the castle. So this was what all of the machinery was for...to bring his_ children_ to life. And it was also why he had kept those mindless creatures he called his brides with him for so long.

Recovering from the shock of learning that Dracula had children, I quickly made my way out of the old castle. On the way I saw the gypsy princess and Van Helsing, who had somehow caught on to Dracula's trail. I had decided not to interfere in the battle that would take place between them, and so I left Van Helsing to his assignment.

Taking to the skies, I flew northeast for a short time until I saw the place which I had not seen since my mortal life. Castle Vorkovus still stood as it had the day I left it. It had been weathered by time, as all things had been, but it was mostly the same as I remembered it. From the air it appeared to be abandoned, but I still could not be sure. With no one else to take over the castle after my father's death, it was likely that it was left abandoned, as so many other old Transylvanian castles had been over time.

Soon upon arriving I discovered that it was as I had thought. No one had lived there since my father's death, that was certain. Large amounts of dust hung from the walls and gorgeous tapestries that I had once so loved. Our library and armory were still as they had been the last time I saw them. Even my chamber was the same, and for a long time I stood there looking around at all of the things that I had forgotten.

It was then that the reality of my hollow existence returned to me, and for the first time in what seemed an eternity I cried real tears. It was then that I noticed a piece of folded parchment on the small table next to my old bed. Picking it up, I saw that it had been written by my father just before his death. Tears still running down my face, I read it carefully.

_My dearest daughter,  
If you should ever return here and find this letter, I am sure that I will no longer be in this world. But the evil which plagues our land will continue for centuries, until it is destroyed forever. My daughter, I fear that you have been pulled into this ancient battle between good and evil, and that evil now rules over you. But the devil cannot claim what is not his. Ask for forgiveness and it shall be given to you along with your freedom if Dracula is destroyed. With his destruction comes your salvation, Katrina. This is true for the Valerious family as well, for then they too shall be forgiven. Find a way to destroy the creature, and remember what I told you when you were young: it takes evil to destroy evil. We shall meet again someday, my daughter. Until that day, I remain your loving father._

Under this was my father's signature. I read the letter over and over again, thinking about what my father had written. A memory returned to me then, one that I had forgotten. As a child I had seen in one of my father's books a picture of a large bat and wolf caught in a fierce battle with one another. I had asked my father what it meant.

"It takes evil to destroy evil," he had told me. "One evil fears another and always has; so long as that evil rules over the other and controls it, there will be a balance of power. But turn them against one another, and evil shall destroy itself."

As a young girl I had not really understood his meaning, but now, four hundred years later, it was perfectly clear to me.

For the evil to be forever vanquished from Transylvania and the world, it had to be used against itself. And although I had sworn to myself that I would not interfere, there was one role that I had to play in this battle. It was up to me to turn evil against evil, and to see that once and for all Vladislaus Dracula was destroyed.


	20. Even In Death

† Well, at long last, here it is. The final chapter of the story, and I have to admit that I was a bit sad after finishing this. Sorry that it took me so long to finish the whole thing, and an enormous thanks to ALL of my reviewers and all the people who've read this story! You are the ones that kept this story going. I hope that all of you enjoy this final chapter, and please let me know what you think of this and of the entire story as a whole. If you really like it, please tell people to come and read it! And I suppose that there could be a sequil some day...but that depends on what Mr. Sommers decides to do with the Van Helsing sequil, if there is one. Well, read, and I hope you enjoy it! †

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Landing silently on the soft ground of the Transylvanian forest, I remained in the shadows of the great trees around me. Above me a large full moon lighted the country, covering the land with a cool silver glow. I moved as silently and easily as a shadow, still watching the creature that I been following for some time. The forest around me grew a bit darker, and looking up to the night sky I saw that a large cloud had drifted across the moon, covering it completely from view. At that moment a shrieking howl filled the forest, enough to turn any mortal's blood to ice. It grew more and more human, until it was only the wailing of a man.

I moved closer to the sound, until the man was directly in front of me. Lying on the ground at my feet gasping for breath was Prince Velkan, the small amount of clothing that he wore in shreds. He looked up at me slowly, at first with fear and dread, but then with a bit of curiosity.

"Did Dracula send you to make sure that I was doing as I was told?" he asked coldly, his breathing still rough.

For a moment I stared at him silently. "No. I have nothing to do with Dracula, you should know that."

We watched each other in silence until I spoke. "I have followed you tonight for a reason, and it is not because of Dracula's orders. I have come to tell you how he may be destroyed." He watched me with confusion as I continued.

"There is one way that it must be done, and it will not be easy. Dracula can be destroyed by those that he has so long controlled."

I watched as Velkan's expression changed from confusion to understanding.

"Werewolves. He can only be destroyed by a werewolf," he whispered to himself, and then looked back up at me. "But I am not strong enough to resist him, if I was he would already be dead."

I looked directly into his eyes. "But you know someone who is strong enough, do you not?"

With this I turned to leave him, the moon above about to come into view again. "You may yet save your family, Prince. May God be with you."

As I passed back into shadows, I heard him transform behind me with a shattering cry.

After my meeting with Velkan in the forest, I knew that there was little more that I could do but wait to see what happened. I was not sure in the following days ifhe had succeeded in his task. It was likely that Dracula had found out about our meeting in the forest, as he had spies everywhere.

I had spies of my own, however. I learned that Van Helsing and Anna Valerious had found Frankenstein's monster, the key to Dracula's plan. They were on their way to take the creature to Rome when they were attacked. Anna Valerious had been taken back to Dracula, and a trade had been arranged to take place at Dracula's All Hallow's Eve Ball. I knew both men, however, and knew that neither one would ever make a trade. Exactly what Dracula had planned, I wasn't sure. I would be there to find out, though.

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The night of the masked ball I arrived a bit later than the other guests and mixed with the crowd as quickly as possible. I did not want attention drawn to myself, and I knew that it would be a challenge to keep from running into Dracula that night. I had dressed appropriately for the ball and wore a deep blue and silver gown, very well made but not too extravagant to draw unnecessary attention. I should have known better, however. From the time I arrived I noticed that many of the well dressed gentlemen seemed interested in me.

Keeping my silver mask over my face I mixed with the crowd of wealthy guests, mostly undeads. As the orchestra began to play another eerie song, one that I recognized from a masked ball years before, I saw Dracula. He was dancing with Anna, spinning her and dipping her around the enormous ballroom. I could not stop the memories of the past from coming to me, memories of dancing with him like she was.

But as I watched I realized that Anna was completely under his spell and had no idea what was happening. I smiled to myself. Still having to put women under your spell to keep them, Vladislaus?

Making sure that I could not be seen by him, I continued to watch the dance. Suddenly my senses picked up on a new presence in the room, and I had no doubt who it was. Van Helsing was here. Looking around, I spotted him high above the dance floor on one of the balconies. He wore an elaborate costume which helped to disguise him somewhat, and next to him stood Carl. I could tell that they were forming some sort of plan, and I only hoped that it was a good one. I noticed that Van Helsing was watching Dracula and Anna dance closely, and suddenly I knew what he was about to do.

I made my way through the crowd of guests, still staying back out of Dracula's view. Looking back up, I saw Van Helsing swing across the large ballroom, heading straight for Dracula and Anna. I realized that he was not a moment too soon. Dracula was just before creating himself another bride when several things occurred that stopped him.

As Van Helsing swung down and grabbed Anna, Carl pushed one of the fire-breathers into Dracula, setting the count's long cape on fire. The room broke out into chaos for a few moments as the fire-breather went flying across the room, a result of Dracula's anger.

The count's attention then focused on Van Helsing, who had swung to the opposite balcony and stood with Anna. The entire ballroom was silent except for Dracula's voice calling to Van Helsing. I could feel the tension in the room, and knew that around me were undeads who were just waiting for Dracula's command to attack. At that moment I heard loud shouts and looked around to see a group of Dracula's servants, and with them Frankenstein. I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them, willing this to be nothing more than an illusion. But I knew that it was not, and that somehow Dracula had managed to find the creature.

I could tell that Van Helsing was shaken by this as well. The room echoed with the shouts of Frankenstein, but they were all in vain. He was bound so tightly that there was no hope of him getting free, even with the amount of strength that he had.

Dracula's attention then returned to Van Helsing, and his guests turned around as well. "Now that everything is as it should be," Dracula began, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you...VAN HELSING!"

The room erupted into roars and snarls as the guests showed their true selves, teeth elongating and eyes becoming inhuman. Charging after Van Helsing and Anna, they left the room empty after only a moment or two. Empty except for Dracula and myself.

I knew that he would sense me now with no one else around, but I kept my place behind a large ornate statue. Dracula gave a heavy sigh and turned toward where I stood.

"I could sense your presence from the moment you arrived, my dear. There is no use in hiding from me."

Walking from behind the statue, I came to stand a few feet from him in the middle of the empty ballroom. He watched me closely as he always did, as if he were studying my every movement. I saw something again, deep in his eyes, that I had seen that night in Castle Frankenstein. I did not know what it was, but it almost seemed to be sadness, with perhaps a bit of longing.

"Hello, Vladislaus. I thought that I should attend your grand masquerade once again, it seems to be the party of the year in Budapest."

Dracula laughed. "Budapest? No, all of Eastern Europe, my dear." He stepped closer to me, until we were barely a foot apart. I stood where I was, continuing to return his gaze.

"But we both know that there is another reason for your presence here, hmm?" He said with a softness that surprised me.

Still looking up at him, I shook my head. "I told you, Vladislaus...I am not here because of him. He doesn't remember anything, not even you or I. If I had truly wanted Van Helsing, I would have gone with him after your death." I paused, the tears from so long ago finally coming to my eyes.

"Will you never realize how much I loved you?"

Somewhere deep in his cold eyes I saw something familiar; something that I had not seen in him in so long. It seemed to be a mixture of emotions that I had thought he could no longer feel: sorrow, joy, pain...love? Yes, if it was not love, then what else could it be? I had never seen so many different emotions in a man's eyes, mortal or not.

As he continued to look at me, I knew that he was fighting to feel. He finally yearned for the one thing that had been denied to him in his centuries-long existence: the ability to feel anything. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"I once had the greatest thing any man could have...your love. And I did not deserve it. I took it for granted, believed that it was my right to have it and you. I was given an angel and turned her into a demon."

Tears fell down my face silently as I listened to him, nothing else in the world existing now but him and me. Taking my hands in his he continued.

"If the past could be rewritten, I would take a mortal life with you beside me rather than an immortal life without you. Forgive me for being what I am and for all the pain I've caused you. The only true happiness that I have ever had was knowing that I once had your love."

With this he kissed my hands, slowly and gently, a single tear rolling down his face as he shut his eyes.

I too had tears on my face still, watching the man that I had loved so much begin to return to me before my eyes. As he looked back into my eyes, I realized that I had never truly stopped loving him and that I never could. Finally I spoke.

"You have my forgiveness, Vladislaus. You always have. To truly love someone you must love all of them, and forgive them for what they do. I love you now just as I did the day that we married four centuries ago."

I took a deep breath and continued. "But I need to know one thing...did you ever truly love me, as I loved you?"

I watched nervously as a flood of emotions came into his eyes again. His answer could crush me forever if he chose for it to. Perhaps all of this had just been a game that he was playing with me, and as he took my face in his hands my heart shuttered.

"Yes, Katrina...I loved you from the moment I first saw you, no more than an innocent girl. And I have loved you for every second of every day since."

"You love me still, after all this time? I thought that you could feel nothing."

He pulled my face to his, his lips barely touching mine. "Death cannot stop love," he whispered.

Our lips met in a kiss that was different than anything I remembered from before. It was so full of love and longing, unlike anything that we had shared in four hundred years. It felt wonderful to be held by him again, and for a moment I imagined that nothing had ever changed, we were still young and mortal and enjoying all the time that we had together. As our kiss finally ended I opened my eyes once again to reality. For a moment Vladislaus held me and gently stroked my hair. After a short time he spoke.

"I made a mistake by turning you into what I am. You were never meant to be like this." I lifted my head to look up at him, uncertain of his meaning.

"You were a rare flower that bloomed, Katrina. I longed to keep you that way forever. But it was my greatest mistake." He caressed the side of my face softly, still holding me.

"If such a flower is kept in bloom, we forget just how rare and beautiful it is. We must enjoy it while it lasts, and then let it go forever." He looked deeply into my eyes, and a strange feeling began to come over me.

"I release you, Katrina."

Before I could say anything I felt something inside me change, spreading throughout all my limbs. I shut my eyes tightly as the feeling increased, brief but powerful. When I opened them, the world appeared differently to me, as it had long ago when I was mortal. My senses were no longer heightened as they had been. My body felt like it was changing at a rapid speed, suddenly becoming warmer and full of life.

I felt my heart beating, fresh blood pumping through my veins again. After only a few seconds I could physically feel again, and realized that I was freezing in the gown that I wore. I looked down at my arms and hands, no longer pale as death, but warm and with a pinkish glow. I looked back up at Vladislaus in confusion, but he smiled sadly.

"You are free, my love. The dark spell that held you is gone forever."

"Then I am mortal?" I asked.

He nodded, caressing my face with his fingers. "Yes, you are mortal. Time can touch you now...as can pain and death."

I watched his face, his eyes showing his sorrow. I smiled at him, willing him to feel happiness again.

"I'm not afraid of pain or of death, Vladislaus. Death comes to us all." I took his hands in mine, feeling how cold his skin was for the first time in centuries.

"But we can still enjoy what time we have together. If it is possible for you to make me mortal again, then surely you..."

"I can never be free, Katrina. That was part of the pact that I made. I will exist forever in darkness, a demon feared and hated by all."

"All but one," I corrected him. He looked back into my eyes and gave me another sad smile.

"Enjoy your life without me, my love. Live out your years in happiness as you should have so long ago."

I looked at him with hot tears in my eyes, but this time I did not let them fall.

"Know that I will love you until the ending of the world, and beyond that. Nothing will ever stop my love for you."

With this he kissed me, one last, long kiss. I wished that that kiss could last forever, but too soon it was over, the man that I loved still holding me. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from my face, letting his fingers trail lovingly across my skin.

"Goodbye, my beautiful Katrina," he said at last, stepping back from me.

I did not want this to be goodbye, but somehow I knew that it had to be. I looked at him one last time before a blinding light filled the room, a light like that of the sun. I shut my eyes tightly to keep from harming them, a brief moment of fear passing through me. Then I remembered that the light of the sun could no longer harm me.

Feeling the light fade, I opened my eyes again to find that I was completely alone in the huge ballroom. Vladislaus had gone to attend to Van Helsing I was sure, and I wondered what fate held for the two of them this time.

* * *

I left Budapest the next day, making my way back towards Transylvania and my old home of Vorkovus Manor. The deed to the land was not hard for me to acquire, and in a very short time I was once again living there comfortably.  
Only a few days after the masked ball I received word that Van Helsing had succeeded in destroying Count Dracula, much to the delight of the people of Transylvania. I was perhaps the only person who mourned him, though I knew that it was something that had to be done. It was hard to believe that he was dead and completely gone, and for the second time I shed tears over his death. However, deep inside I felt that he was not really gone, and that he might rise again as he did before.

I knew that these were useless thoughts; Van Helsing had no doubt finished this once and for all. But still I could not help but wonder...

A week or so after I returned to Vorkovus Manor I took a ride into the countryside, taking the old paths that I had once taken so long ago. When I returned to my chamber that evening I was surprised by what I found.

There on my bed was a silver cross, just like the one that my mother had left me...the one that Vladislaus had taken. I picked it up slowly and studied it, wondering if it was possible. There was one way to know. Turning the small cross over, I saw what I was looking for: the engraved initials, E.V., which were my mother's.

I held it in my hands for a long time, thinking about many things. Then I hooked the chain around my neck and walked over to the large mirror. I smiled as I studied my reflection. How strange it was that after all these centuries I was still at the beginning of my life. I had my entire life to live, in the exact place that I had left off.

The saddest reality was that the people that I loved were no longer with me. They had died long ago, as they should have...all but one. Perhaps he existed still, somewhere in the wild land that is called Transylvania.

I thought about what he told me, and I smiled to myself. He would always love me, for even death could not stop our love. I knew that this was true, and that I would love him eternally as well.

We were one, he and I, our love could not be broken, and after four hundred years I finally understood this.

Our tragic lives are forever bound together, and even in death our love goes on.

† THE END †


End file.
